Half an Age
by ellf
Summary: Wheel of Time and Ranma Crossover. Ranma and Akane find themselves in Emond's Field just at the beginning of Eye of the World.
1. Prologue: Will of the Pattern or is it K

Authors Notes Yes, the Ranma scene is from the Manga, volume 38. I felt that I wasn't being canon enough in the original version of the Prologue, and thus I have this rewrite. Remember, in the Wheel of Time series, the snake people are the Aelfinn and they give answers to questions while the fox people are the Eelfinn and they grant three requests… for a price. Why the Saffron scene? Perhaps because I feel that this is the best point in the Ranma storyline for a divergence, at least where this story comes in. Of course I added in some things to the scene, but the dialogue is directly from the translation I have of the Manga, save substituting "jerk" for "baka." Also in this story, any Japanese people who encounter the Eelfinn will call them "kitsune." They will also call the Aelfinn "daija." I will also be skipping certain parts of the Saffron battle as they are happening during the interlaced scenes. I've noticed that is cutting out the "P" and the dash in "P (dash) chan." So whenever I need to use that term, if at all, I will be using "Pchan" instead. Oh, and I've been told that I don't really have too good of a sense of humor, thus any jokes that seem bad, well… I'm trying aren't I?

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2. That honor goes to Rumiko Takahashi and her publishers: Viz and Kitty Films. I do not own the Wheel of Time series. The honor for that one goes to Robert Jordan and Tor books. I also do not claim ownership of any other series that may get mentioned within this piece of fanfiction. I do however claim ownership of my story. It's mine, if you ever, EVER, want to continue it on the off chance that I do decide to drop it, then you must e-mail me. However, I don't see that happening.

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1/2 an Age

By: Ellfangor8 (Ellf)

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Prologue (Rewritten): The Will of the Pattern, or is it Kitsune?

Standing upon the side of a massive mountain was a lone man. The man, a boy really, with his hair up in a pigtail, wearing a red silk shirt with wooden buttons and black dungarees, was holding an icy blue staff. The staff had a glaive-like blade sitting atop it. The man was none other than Saotome Ranma, and the staff in his hand was the Gekkaja, the key to the Dragon Tap of Jusendo. The cold water from the Dragon Tap was needed to restore Akane to her proper form. Ranma glared icily up at his flying antagonist, a man with fiery orange locks that wavered behind him as his white wings kept him aloft. His clothing was a regal Chinese tunic with a cape flapping behind him due to the flapping wings. This was Saffron, the prince of Phoenix Mountain; the Phoenix-God. He needed the hot water from the Phoenix Tap of Jusendo to complete his ascension so that he could provide light to his people. Ranma's confidence shone on his face as bright as his glare was icy; however, this was a façade. He wasn't so sure that he could beat him now.

_I cut off his wings and they just grew back… What a gyp! How am I supposed to beat this asshole now!_

Up above Ranma, Saffron cackled. The puny landling had no chance of survival against the likes of him. Such a fool! It was time to let the mortal know his place; he would pay for interrupting his transformation.

"Heh, fool. I am immortal, landling. To even defeat me on this day, you would have to cut my entire body to pieces." The Phoenix prince smirked. "But then, to do that…" Saffron reached his hand back and viciously tore off one of his wings. His voice increased in volume as his tone radiated arrogance. "YOU WOULD HAVE TO GET CLOSE TO ME! LOTS OF LUCK, LANDLING SCUM!"

Ranma's mask of confidence shattered to be replaced by confusion. "He tore off his own wing?"

_Now why the hell would the bastard do that?_

Saffron appeared to be charging up for an attack, at least that was as near as the young martial artist could tell. A corona of fire surrounded the Phoenix-God, becoming brighter and stronger as he spun the wing around his body at an increasing speed. When Saffron finally reached the peak of his attack, he cried: "Kotei Kaen Yoti!" (Blazing Emperor's Wing) The fiery circle was launched at the young martial artist who desperately moved to get away from the blast.

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Sitting in a room of the Tendo home was what can only be described as an old gnome-like man. Most men this man's age were long dead, and others weren't even human. From looking at him one wouldn't be able to know it, but this was the Grandmaster of the school of Anything Goes Martial Arts. With only his purple gi on, he sat in the center of two piles. The pile to his left was what he considered his prize collection: a pile of women's undergarments sorted by color and style. On his right, however, was a pile of things that were very valuable to him, more so than his prize collection. It was a pile of scrolls and tomes. It was this pile that he looked through today.

"Hmm… _Pressure Points for Dummies_; I don't know why I picked that one up." He tossed the yellow and black book over to the side. The aged man picked up another scroll.

"Oh… this one looks interesting… _How to Cure a Jusenkyo Curse_. Nah, it looks too complicated. I guess I'll tear this one up." He held the scroll up with both hands, and with a speed that rivaled that of Ranma's Amaguriken, proceeded to rip it to shreds.

"Ah… Here we go… _The Three Wishes of the Kitsune_. Three wishes, eh? I think this one could work for me." He opened the scroll and began to read from it. As he read it, the elderly martial artist began to grin. The grin progressively got wider as he finished it.

"The location…. Hehehehe! Sweeto! It's not too far outside of town!" Happosai ran out the door, barely taking the time to nod to Soun.

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"It is time to end this little dance! Die Ranma!" The Phoenix prince exclaimed as he unleashed another fireball towards Ranma. Ranma was tugging at the Gekkaja which was stuck in the ground with its blade bent at a ninety degree angle to the staff before noticing the inferno sphere. Luckily, Ranma managed to jump out of the blast's way, and the enormous fireball struck the ground near the staff. As the light faded, the pigtailed martial artist noticed that the Gekkaja was still there, and was water vapor coming up from the rocks around it?

_What is going on here? The whole area is steaming, but there is no water there. AH! Maybe the Gekkaja's shape isn't because it's broken, but that's how to turn it on! I still have a chance!_

With that thought Ranma began to run wildly for the Gekkaja.

"You are a fool to expose yourself!" Saffron yelled. He began to charge up another fireball to toss at Ranma.

"Play with this for a while, feather brain!" Ranma tossed some clothing up in the air, presumably containing Akane. Saffron paused at that and a look of confusion passed over his face.

"How could you? Using the girl who gave her life for you as a shield on purpose! YOU SCUM! You disgust even me!" As the clothing got closer to Saffron, he noticed that it was just twigs. "AH! A fake, damn you!" Saffron incinerated the false doll with his flames as he launched the fire blast at Ranma.

"Damn straight!" Ranma stood ready for the blast as he struck the ground with the Gekkaja and pulled up a rock that was instantaneously frozen. As the fireball struck the rock, it melted. It was as Ranma suspected; the keys were exact opposites. The Gekkaja was an ice weapon and the Kinjakan was the fire weapon. The young martial artist began to strike the ground with the Gekkaja, causing bits of rock to come up. If one was looking carefully, they could see that the outcroppings of ice were beginning to form a spiral. This move would be perfect to use against Saffron.

As he watched Ranma, Saffron made a snide comment, "What are you digging up the ground for, foolish landling! You won't need to dig your own grave! I'll leave only your ashes!"

Ranma, standing at the center of the ice spiral, looking at Saffron, replied "Oh, yeah? It's party time, bakayaro!"

As the blast descended towards Ranma, he smirked. This brat was making it easy for this move to work.

"For endangering Akane's life, YOU WILL PAY! HIRYUU SHOTEN HA!" Ranma thrust his fist into the air in a spiraling motion, causing a disruption in the convection current around him. The result from this move is normally a tornado relative to the opponent's strength and anger. Because of the size of the fireball, the resultant tornado was massive, taller than the mountain of Kenseizan. The tornado formed around both combatants, sucking them in.

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The aged grandmaster smiled as he came upon the arch that the scroll described. It was made of red stone and was so twisted that it hurt even Happosai's eyes to gaze upon it. Running down the edges of the doorway were three lines of etched triangles. The arch was leaning against the wall of a cave. The old pervert decided to gather his courage and walk through it. Boy would he feel stupid if it turned out that the arch did not work, but the scrolls he "liberated" never lied before. Nor did they this time. As soon as Happosai set foot through the door he was transported to another world.

A person greeted the elderly martial artist as he entered the realm. However, this person was not human; Happosai glanced up at the creature. It was wearing a robe that accented its fox-like face. Fur covered its body as its tail twitched behind it. Happi stared and then realized that this one… this one was female. It was blaringly obvious because of the shape of the creature's body and the… ahem… ample upper torso. The elderly pervert's mind was torn between glomping this creature, stealing her undergarments and running away, or staying, behaving and getting his wishes. No matter how piercing his instincts were, he beat them back with a twelve-foot stick in his mind and settled for staring in awe at the beauty of the creature.

"Kitsune…" he murmured. The fox-like creature seemed to grin down at Happi. She spoke in Japanese.

"Ah, Japanese are you, good, good. Have you complied with the agreement? No lamps, no torches, no iron nor any musical instruments."

Happosai nodded curtly. "Of course not, Kitsune-san. I follow what the scrolls tell me."

"Excellent, then let's bring you before _them_ shall we?"

"Lead on, Kitsune-san, lead on."

The being that Happosai identified as Kitsune led the aged grandmaster down a hallway decorated with various plants that gave off a light. He walked slowly behind the female Eelfinn, gazing in wonder at the surroundings, at how different and yet the same this world was to their own. He was brought to a large door with markings of both foxes and snakes etched upon it. The Kitsune gestured for him to go in.

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Ranma smirked as he headed towards Saffron in the tornado created by his Hiryuu Shoten Ha. He had never felt this good in a fight before, nor had he ever felt this terrible. It was almost as if there was an additional energy crawling beneath his skin. He knew this fight was for Akane's life, but he felt wonderful! He felt nauseous. Chills went up and down his spine as he thought about winning. He would win at all costs. As the feeling coursed through him he approached Saffron from behind.

"Eat this, bastard! GEKKAJA!" Ranma swung the ice key at Saffron, hoping that it would strike a vital part. At the last minute, Saffron raised his right arm to block the blow. Because the staff connected, Saffron's upper right half of his body began to freeze solid. As he held the staff in place he asked, "Who's the fool? I knew full well that the tornado wouldn't blow you away, but it's all the cover I need to get in close to you! YOU ARROGANT SCUM! You think you're so superior! That no one else matters! You nearly killed Akane! For this, YOU WILL DIE!"

"DAMN YOU!"

As Ranma held tightly on to the staff, he glanced down at the doll-Akane in his shirt. He hoped that she would be alright. When glancing down, he saw a small aura of gold, but he didn't understand what that meant. However, that aura was slowly fading.

Shing! Saffron managed to push the Gekkaja away when he spotted the Kinjakan.

"Damn it!" Ranma shouted.

"The Kinjakan! This isn't over yet!" Saffron flew towards the opposite key and grasped it. "Heh! I WILL NEVER YIELD! Just try your futile attack again! I will prove the error of your ways by death!"

Ranma gripped the Gekkaja tighter as he replied, "If you want it, you're gonna get all you can handle and then some!"

Ranma directed himself towards Saffron, winding up for another strike. As he swung at the Phoenix Prince, Saffron countered with the Kinjakan. CLANG! There was the sound of metal against metal as both the martial artist and the god held their respective staffs together. Suddenly, there was a flash of power coming from both staffs. Their attacks were repelling each other. There were two colliding spheres of power being perfectly repelled back at the wielders of the staffs. The cold attack was being directed back at Ranma!

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The room Happosai was in was decorated with all sorts of insignia. Odd plants that gave off a dim light lit the room, and regal red carpets were spread out on the floor. The architecture of the room seemed a combination of the Western Victorian style along with some Asian influences to it. Etched on the walls were several glyphs in a language not known to men. The Eelfinn were known to be fairly reminiscent of days long past, however this did not explain the modern architecture. Perhaps this Age had brought so much that they wanted to keep some memorabilia. Three of the fox-like people, one female and two males, walked into the room, barely acknowledging Happosai at first. The males each had brownish fur and were wearing green robes with a silver fox head medallion around their necks. The female, unlike the males, had snow white fur and was wearing a sky blue robe. She too was wearing the silver fox head medallion. They arranged themselves so that the female would be sitting in between the two males. After getting situated in the room, they turned their attention to Happosai.

The male on the left spoke, "What is it that you want, elder one?"

"I have heard that there is a price to pay for the favors you grant. Let me tell you my offer first."

The foxes seemed to grin at that, and the female one spoke. "One who knows of the agreement, very well elder one, make your offer of price."

Happosai grinned with an almost evil glint in his eye. "I offer the two heirs to the Anything Goes School as payment for your favors. Akane Tendo, the heiress to the Tendo School, and Ranma Saotome, the heir to the Saotome School are yours to do with what you will."

The male on the right spoke next, "You offer us your heirs? You are one truly s-" He was pulled to the side by the other two and they spoke to each other in a tongue that even Happosai could not understand. As they conferred, it seemed that the female was becoming more and more agitated. Finally it seemed that they reached an agreement as the first one turned to Happosai and spoke. The other two grinned slyly as they nodded in agreement.

"We will accept your offer, elder one. Now make your requests."

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Ranma was panting hard as he held the Gekkaja in his hand. He had just finished hitting Saffron with the rocks that Ryoga had thrown into the tornado. Saffron fell into the center, and it seemed that Ranma could relax. However, this was not to be… A pillar of boiling hot lava began to rise up from the tornado's center. A side comment from Ryoga Hibiki pointed out that Saffron's heat was now of molten proportions; he must have melted the rock. Of course, this was a true comment as the Phoenix Prince flew up from beneath the lava, snarling, with an aura of flame surrounding him.

"How DARE you strike royalty! You landling peasant!"

"Damn it! What does it take to bring this bastard down? Neither Akane nor I can take much more of this." Ranma was genuinely worried. He needed to figure a way to take Saffron down, permanently. The power that felt so good continued to well up inside of him.

Saffron chuckled as he watched Ranma. "Planning your own funeral, mortal? Well, you should! Mount Phoenix Royal Family Special Attack…" There was a bright flash of light, obscuring Saffron from Ranma's view.

"What now!"

"TENKA SHUNMETSU KOUKYUU DAN!" (Any-mortal Instant-Annihilation Emperor-Sized Ball Blast) And a mammoth fireball headed towards Ranma.

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The aged pervert stood in front of the foxes, considering. He knew what he wanted, but if he didn't word them right he could be screwed over. Happosai was eager to get his wishes, but he didn't want to do it wrong. The foxes began to look impatient and the Grandmaster of Anything Goes began to give his first request.

"For my first request, I ask that you return me to my prime once more."

The male fox on the left gestured at Happosai and suddenly where the elderly pervert stood was now a young man at the age of sixteen years old. However this was not the form that was seen by Ranma and Akane when they went back in time with the Naban Mirror. This body had red hair, and it was taller.

"Done."

"My next request is for a pretty lady that I can call my own."

The right side male fox gave the appearance of raising an eyebrow before gesturing.

"Looking to get some romance? Done."

Happosai nodded then glanced hungrily at the third fox person.

"My third request, my dear, is one that only you can fulfill."

The fox in question blinked. "Oh? How is that?"

Happosai grinned, not as disturbing as it would have been had he still been in his elderly form, but it still gave the Eelfinn the chills. "I would like you to…"

"Yes?" Now it is odd for one of the Eelfinn to be confused for they are almost omniscient, but this one was rather baffled by what Happosai wanted.

"Give me your panties!"

All three of the foxes did something that they would probably never do again. They face faulted. Like with most face faults, they recovered to their feet quickly.

With a blush on her face, she held her hands out to the young Happosai. "Done."

The young pervert rubbed the undergarment, which had a hole in the back to make room for the fox's tail, all over his face. "Ahahahaoh. How sweet it is!"

The foxes glanced at Happosai once more before sending him to leave. "We will collect our price as soon as you leave."

The female glared at Happosai as he left the room and began to cackle. "There is one more stipend to the price, Happosai. You will have no recollection of this or anything. Have fun with your new life 'Ataru Moroboshi'!"

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The gargantuan ball of flame was so powerful that it literally blew the top off of Kenseizan, exposing the Dragon and Phoenix Taps. Ranma made a split-second decision to turn the Gekkaja's icy powers upon himself so that he could survive. The Tenku Shunmetsu Koukyuu Dan passed harmlessly over the pigtailed martial artist's body, but it knocked him outside of the Hiryuu Shoten Ha. Saffron realized that Ranma had survived and threw the top of the Kinjakan like a boomerang to bring the aqua transsexual back into the cyclone. Meanwhile, Ranma was planning his next strike.

_I only have one chance to take this bastard down, and that's during his next attack. I'll thrust my frozen fist into the attack and he'll be torn to ribbons by the concentrated Hiryuu Shoten Ha!_

Saffron began to charge up another one of his attacks. The attack, like last time was a humongous fireball.

"TENKA SHUNMETSU KOUKYUU DAN!" The blast headed towards Ranma once more. The raging inferno of the fireball was so bright that it was blinding Ranma's sight.

"Argh! Can't see a thing because of the fire!" Ranma was shielding his eyes. Suddenly, out of his shirt leaped the Akane Doll, who was still frozen like Ranma was, and into the fire she went, creating a tunnel in the fireball that led directly to Saffron.

"Foolish Girl, how many times do you want to die? My blast shall incinerate you!"

"NOT IN THIS LIFETIME, BASTARD! HIRYUU SHOTEN HA REVISED:" Ranma thrust his fist into the tunnel. "Go Dragon of Ice! HIRYUU HYOUTOPPA!" A horizontal tornado left his hand, heading towards Saffron. The tornado struck Saffron, tearing him to shreds.

"B-but… I'm immortal!"

Unbeknownst to Ranma, in the center, threads of Air, Earth, Fire, Spirit and Water were woven together to form a white-hot stream of fire that struck Saffron shortly after the tornado did, causing Saffron to disappear in a flash of white light, leaving no body behind.

"Not as immortal as you might think."

The Akane doll flew into Ranma's arms, and around them formed a silver sphere with a fox-head symbol that seemed to be engraved upon it. Inside the sphere, Ranma collapsed into unconsciousness, dropping Akane in the process, however his hand still grasped the Gekkaja. This sphere disappeared in a flash of light, taking the two martial artists with it.

On the ground, Mousse, Shampoo, Ryoga, and the people of Phoenix Mountain could only stare in shock. Saffron was dead, and there was no egg for him to be reborn in. Ranma and Akane disappeared, and like Saffron they were presumed dead. The people of Phoenix Mountain returned to their home in defeat. The Nerimans sighed as they realized now there was no reason for them to fight anymore, and there now would be no way to cure their curses. They decided to head back. The whole while Genma was whining about what a useless son he has to go and disappear like that. (After Shampoo freed him from the Sukiomi Egg, of course)

When they arrived in Nerima, they came with their heads hung low. Everyone in Nerima was told the news: Ranma and Akane were dead. Kuno was gloating about the defeat of the "Foul Sorcerer", but he was mourning the loss of his "Pigtailed Goddess" and his "Fierce Tigress Akane." He was quickly silenced by his sister, along with the remains of the Wrecking Crew. The only real plus side to their return was that Happosai was nowhere to be found. A few months later there was the arrival of the Oni named Lum in the nearby district of Tomobiki, but that is a story for another time.

Eventually, all in Nerima stopped grieving and moved on. Ryoga ended up marrying Akari Unryuu, and he raised pigs and taught martial arts the rest of his life. Ukyou and Konatsu married, and they had several adventures of their own. Shampoo and Mousse returned to China, after a bit it was found out that they were married and had two children. Kodachi met a person who she liked better than Ranma: Ryuu Kumon. Doctor Tofu returned to Nerima and made Kasumi a happy woman. By the time Nabiki was ready to get married herself, she decided to fund a research expedition to Antarctica.

The Second Impact happened, and Nerima was destroyed. The events of the Anime Neon Genesis Evangelion happened as they did and the Third Impact ended the Age. The Wheel turns and time passes. The next Age brought the beginnings of the channelers. Humans became able to use the One Power in the masses. It would turn out that men and women could use different parts of the Power. The male half of the Power was given the name _saidin_, and the female half, _saidar_. They developed means of travel that used stones that they called "Portal Stones." These stones would bring a person anywhere in the multiverse, provided they knew the proper symbol. As this Age faded, more and more things began to be developed with the Power. This gave birth to the Age of Legends and a group of channelers decided to call themselves "Aes Sedai." The term "Aes Sedai" means servant to all. That is exactly what these channelers did. They were the healers, the architects, the crafters, and the smiths. With their base at the Hall of Servants, they used their ability to channel to create a utopian society. Another race developed, a nonhuman race known as the Ogier. The Ogier were great builders and workers with stone. Teaming up with the Aes Sedai, they built monumental cities.

As with all such societies, the Age of Legends began to crumble with the discovery of a power similar to the One Power, but both men and women could wield it. An expedition of thirteen Aes Sedai was sent to find this power. What they found was the Dark One. Those thirteen became the Forsaken, though they called themselves "Chosen". With the discovery of the Dark One came the War of the Shadow. On one side were those who chose to follow the Dark One, along with their creations: the Trollocs and the Myrdraal, and on the other were those who followed the Light. A hero rose up in the form of an Aes Sedai named Lews Therin Telamon. Lews Therin was named Dragon because of the way he commanded the people under him. The Dragon had an army known as the Hundred Companions. In the final moments of the War of Shadow, Lews Therin led an attack with his Hundred Companions on Shayol Ghul where they sealed up the hole on the Lord of the Night's prison with seven seals. They put his "Chosen" in with him. The Dark One retaliated by placing a taint on _Saidin_. The taint caused all male channelers to eventually go mad and die. Because of the sheer amount of male channelers and their power, the male Aes Sedai began what is known as the Breaking of the World. The Dragon killed his family in his madness and was named Lews Therin Kinslayer because of it. A person wrote a book of prophecies, _The Kaerthon Cycle_, or The Prophecies of the Dragon. These Prophecies speak of his return.

The world was reshaped. Where once there was ocean, there was now land. Where once there were plains, there were now mountains. When the Breaking finished so did the Age of Legends, and the age known as the Third Age began. People once again had to find their culture and each other. A new language was developed from the language spoken in the Age of Legends. This language, known to gleemen as the Plain Chant, was universal save for accents and slang. Artur Hawking had a dream to unite the Ten Nations, and he started a war of conquering over it. The war was finished when the High King was dead. At one point after that, the Aiel gave a gift to Cairhien, _Avendoraldera,_ an offshoot of the Tree of Life; this was a sign of peace and that they would trade with them. However, one king of Cairhien, King Laman, ended that peace by cutting down the tree to make his throne. This started the Aiel War. After the Aiel killed Laman, they returned to the Waste, east of the Spine of the World. Where are Ranma and Akane? Are they truly dead?

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Suddenly, in the realm of the Eelfinn, a sphere with a fox-head marking on it appears and lands in the center of a room holding nine fox creatures. Four of them female, and the rest male. The sphere faded away to reveal an unconscious Ranma Saotome, still the same age as when he fought Saffron, holding the Gekkaja, along with the Akane-doll. The foxes looked over the two bodies. One of the females shook her head as she glanced over the two. The other foxes seemed to be a bit afraid of her.

"Saotome… What have you and my younger sister gotten into this time? Well, can't have my sister like this." The fox waved her hand and Akane returned to her normal size, breathing normally, remaining unconscious. Akane was also fully clothed in one of her normal yellow dresses. "Now this weapon… I think you'd do better with a katana, wouldn't you Saotome?" Not expecting an answer she touched the Gekkaja and its tip straightened and lengthened as the base contracted. Along the blade of the Gekkaja-katana was an engraving of a Dragon, a Tiger and a Phoenix in movement down the blade. On the pommel of it was a marking of a fox with two initials in the bottom right corner of it. NT. Engraved on the hilt, perhaps circling it was what is known as the Great Serpent of the Wheel of Time, a snake-like creature that apparently is eating its own tale. The scabbard had two things engraved upon it, one was Gekkaja in Kanji, and the other was _Caradier_, meaning Ice Sword in the Old Tongue. "Perhaps you should also know the language as well." She passed her hand over each of their heads before glancing at the remaining Eelfinn in the room.

"Let's send them now to where they need to be. They will return to our realm in time, remember they are ours to do with what we will. We will follow the Pattern. My little sister and her fiancée are needed to fulfill prophecy, and so they shall."

There was another flash of light and the two unconscious bodies were gone. A tear could be seen running down the face of the Eelfinn female as she watched them go. "Good luck Ranma, and Akane. You both will need it."

End Prologue

A. N. Yes, it is shorter than my original prologue, but I still think it's pretty good. It definitely is better than my original one. I can actually take this prologue and make something of it. I will be working on this fanfic along with my other two at the same time. This is my Epic Fic. It will have several books as Ranma and Akane find their place in the series of Wheel of Time. Remember, all of their friends are dead, but that doesn't mean that they weren't reborn. After all, the Wheel Turns and Ages come and go. People are reincarnated. I will give only one hint in this part. BirgitteUkyo. Oh, and this is just a prologue guys, the actual chapters will be longer.

Remember people, read and review. I can be contacted at 


	2. Omake

Disclaimer: Nothing here belongs to me. Well, my computer does, and so does this copy of Microsoft Word. I wish I owned Ranma or Wheel of Time, then I'd be rich.

1/2 an Age Omake

Ranma-chan stood naked at the three arches; she was ready to take the test to become Accepted. Idly she wondered about what Akane saw. Oh, they were done speaking... Time to do this.

Alanna Sedai reminded Ranma-chan, "Remember Ranko, the way back comes but once, be steadfast."

Ranma-chan nodded as she walked through the first arch. A white flash obscured her vision.

Ranma was standing in the Tendo Dojo. He was ready to train, his father waiting for him.

"Well, boy, let's see how well that training of yours worked." Genma grinned at his son with an overconfident smirk.

Ranma nodded to his father. "Let's go, Oyaji!" He leapt at his father and began to furiously attack him. Genma was no slouch; he fought back with just as much vigor. Suddenly, a scream echoed from outside. Genma stopped fighting. _The way back will come but once, be steadfast._ Ranma shook his head. He had a duty to do.

"Go, boy, you know what you must do."

Ranma smiled and muttered under his breath, "I really hate saying this." He raised his hand and the Great Serpent ring upon it lit up. "Aes Sedai Power, Make Up!" Ranma's body morphed from male to female, and suddenly she was clad in the classic Senshi fuku, save for the fringe. The fringe was of a snake eating its own tail. There was a belt and buckle the same way, and she had earrings of the Ancient Symbol of the Aes Sedai on her ears. Yin and Yang, _saidin _and_ saidar_ she was the channeler who could do both. She was Sailor Sedai.

Leaping outside, she saw exactly what was causing the screaming. It was a minion of the Dark One! The half man, half beast creature known as a Trolloc! She readied herself to do her duty. _The way back will come but once, be steadfast. _A white flickering arch could be seen at the edge of her vision. The Shadowspawn would die!

"Terrorizing people is a thing of evil! I am the beautiful Sailor Suited Senshi for love and justice, Sailor Sedai, and in the name of the One Power, I will punish you!" Sedai posed. _The way back-No! I have to kill this thing... What the hell is wrong with me? I need to get back!_

Sedai looked over at the arch, and it began to fade away. Using her Senshi magic enhanced by her ki abilities she ran over to it just as the Trolloc tore into another civilian. White light engulfed her.

Ranma-chan fell out of the arch, and was suddenly bathed in cold water.

"You are washed clean of any silly outfits you may have worn and of any silly speeches you may have made."

Ranma-chan looked directly into Alanna's eyes. "What about silly poses?"

"You are not washed clean of those."

Ranma-chan paled and collapsed into a fetal position, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

End Omake-

Author's notes: Well, I was bored. Probably wasn't that funny anyways. Meh.


	3. Chapter 1: A not so Empty Road

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and is published in the United States by Viz. The Wheel of Time series, Randland and all of those characters belong to Robert Jordan, and the series is published by Tor books. (Mostly) All other characters and series mentioned belong to their respective authors.

Author's Notes: Heh, well, here's the actual first chapter of Book One of _1/2 an Age_. People mentioned that I had left a few things out in the Prologue about the end of the Age of Legends, well okay, I did. I left out the Bore, and some of the Forsaken were not people who made the Bore to find the True Power. Other questions were about Aiel. Well I'm going to be including a glossary on my website that defines everything I've used in the story. I'll also be including a glossary at the end of each chapter to explain any Wheel of Time (or Ranma) terms I use in the chapter. There were also a few questions about Nabiki turning into a Kitsune, well, heh, call it incentive for me to continue writing. That was an intentional "plot hole". I wanted to leave my readers guessing. However, I handled it all wrong during C&C. As for the weave that Ranma did, well that _was_ Balefire and it _was_ Ranma's first time channeling. How, one might ask. Well that... is a secret. Anyways, without further ado, I give you:

1/2 an Age Book One: The Wild Horse Cometh

By Ellf (ellfangor8)

Chapter One: A Not So Empty Road.

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the Wheel of Time, but it was _a_ beginning.

Starting just below the ever-cloud surrounded peaks that bestowed the mountains their name, the wind blew out east, across the former beach of the Sand Hills (the ocean was eliminated in the Breaking of the World). Down those hills it blew, into the Two Rivers, and into the complex forest that was Westwood, and passed over two unconscious bodies clad in clothing that was rather inappropriate for the weather. No matter that spring should have already approached or that where they were before it was summer; the wind carried such an icy chill to it that it almost seemed to carry the prediction of snow.

Gusts continued to blow over Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo, causing them to tremble repetitively. Ranma curled his silk-clad body up into a ball, an unconscious effort to warm himself, and Akane seemed to be reaching out to hug something. Perhaps she was looking for her pet piglet, Pchan, to use his warmth for herself, but unfortunately her piglet was neither here nor there, none could tell when or where that misguided piglet would show up. However, it was unlikely that Akane would ever see the poor piglet again.

A particularly strong squall caused sapphire eyes to open. Ranma shivered as he sat up, seeming to become more aware with each movement. Looking around, he tried to get his bearings. The only trees that had any green upon them were ones that kept leaf or needle through the winter; the rest were barren. Ranma had nary a clue as to where he was. Shivering once more, he looked around furiously for Akane. Upon seeing her restored, albeit unconscious, body he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn, it's cold out here." He walked over to Akane and felt for a pulse. "Good, she's alive, that fight wasn't in vain." Leaning in close to her face he whispered, "Wake up, tomboy." Akane reached out again for Pchan, but rather than finding him she grasped her arms around Ranma's neck and pulled him in close. "Erk!" Ranma's arms were spread apart and his fingers were in warding positions.

Brown eyes opened and stared into blue. The familiar gears were turning in Akane's mind as she registered exactly _who_ was this close to her. At this point in waking she couldn't recall the events of the past few days.

"Ranma..." she gritted out, pulling back her fist, "You pervert!!" Akane struck Ranma square on the face and he slammed into a tree, causing it to splinter.

As he pulled himself out of the tree, Ranma muttered under his breath, "Yep, still an uncute tomboy." A little louder, he said, "I'll have you know that it was _you_ who grabbed _me_, Akane."

"Oh, really, why would I grab a pervert like you?"

"Oh gee, I don't know, why don't you tell me, tomboy?"

"I wouldn't have grabbed you if you weren't so close to me! What did you think you were doing?!"

"Well excuse me for trying to see if you were alright!"

"I can take care of myself!"

"Like you did with the Kinjakan?!"

Akane deflated at that statement, before her anger flared up again. "And whose fault was it that I was there in the first place?! If you hadn't picked that fight with Saffron...!"

"Damn it, Akane, you were almost killed! If you had died...!"

"If I had... died?" Akane looked at Ranma's face, serious as ever, and her anger left her. She studied over Ranma, and she noticed a katana in a blue scabbard at his side.

"Yeah, you could've died. I don't know what I woulda done had it happened."

Akane paused and stared into her fiancé's eyes and whispered, "Ranma..." She looked back at the katana at his side. "What's that?" She pointed directly at it.

Ranma glanced down at the katana. He gripped the hilt and slowly lifted the sword and scabbard up into view. Seeing the kanji on its side, he mouthed, "Gekkaja..."

"Wasn't the Gekkaja a staff?"

Ranma nodded and then noticed the other engraved words upon the sword. "_Caradier_... That looks almost like English, but it's too, I don't know, too something, but I think it means..."

Ranma looked up at Akane and both spoke at the same time, "Ice Sword."

Another gust blew by causing both teens to shiver, reminding them once again of the current climate. Looking around, Ranma spotted something odd. No more than twenty meters away on the road was a cloaked figure on horseback. Both the horse and the rider were a dull black. The rider's cloak covered him completely from his head to the top of his boots, the cowl pulled tightly forward so that no part of his body showed.

The shadowed opening of the rider's hood caught Ranma's attention. Though he could only see the faintest outline of a face, he felt as if he were staring directly into the rider's eyes. A feeling arose within Ranma, one similar to what he felt when a cat was near. He could feel almost an aura of hatred for everything, for everyone, especially him originating from the rider. Ranma could not tear his eyes away from the rider, no matter how hard he tried, but the sound of a breaking stick drew his eyes away from the spot for a second.

When he looked up, he saw neither horse nor rider. One glance at Akane was all that Ranma needed to confirm whether she saw it too. Her paled face with a bit of confusion mixed in did well to show that Akane saw the same thing.

"That rider... Ranma, where'd he go?"

"I don't know, Akane, I don't know at all."

"Why would someone be riding a horse out here in China?"

Ranma glanced around once more. "Um... Akane, I think this ain't China."

"Oh... So, where are we then?"

"I don't know, why are you looking to me for answers, tomboy?"

"Maybe because you were the one who was on a training trip for ten years!"

"Well, we never came here during our trip!"

"So we're lost."

Ranma sighed. "Yes... I feel like Ryoga."

"Quit picking on him!"

"He ain't here! How could I be picking on him without him here?!"

"You just are! Honestly..." Akane huffed.

Suddenly, the clip-clopping of horse hooves could be heard coming down the path that the two had taken their argument to the center of. Both teens turned, fearing the reappearance of the rider, but to their relief, it was just a horse-drawn cart with a young man following the vehicle. The young man couldn't have been much older than Ranma or Akane themselves. He stood about a foot taller than Ranma with his hair a sandy red. On the other side of the cart was an older man, using a spear as a walking staff. The man was a head shorter than the younger and had graying hair, and dark eyes.

To say Rand al'Thor was jumpy would be an understatement. The combination of the way the morning was: pale and dreary, along with the sighting of that rider whose cloak seemed untouched by the wind did well to put Rand at unease. Only the reminder of the void seemed to calm him down.

Tam had taught Rand the technique when he was younger, and it did well to help him focus. First one would picture a flame in his mind, next they would feed all of their emotions into the flame causing the user's mind to empty, leaving what is known as the void. Be one with the void, Tam had said, and you can do anything. An unorthodox technique for a shepherd to use, but the flame and the void technique had helped Tam al'Thor to win the archery contests in Emond's Field every year at Bel Tine.

Looking back at his father, Rand was glad to see that Tam had not noticed his momentary loss of the void.

A few other farms were located out here in Westwood, so it was not too odd to see riders out on this trail every so often. However, with the way this winter had been, driving wolves and bears to find other ways of eating (usually by dining on sheep, but occasionally they came after humans), farmers rarely left their houses. So it came as a surprise as the sound of a girl and boy arguing began to echo down towards Rand.

A snort came from beside Tam, and he reached his hand down to steady Bela. The mare gave the older man a questioning look, one that was mirrored by his son.

"I hear it too, lad. Shall we see who's arguing in this weather?"

Rand nodded. Upon seeing his agreement, Tam clucked Bela once more into motion, and they continued down Quarry Road. As they traveled, they noticed exactly who was arguing.

The two obviously were not from Emond's Field. From the look of their outlandish clothing, Rand thought that they might be from Taren Ferry, but he was not too sure. People from that town were always said to be strange; however, as Rand approached, he noticed something more. The two, a boy and a girl, were obviously younger than he himself was, and he was barely of marriageable age.

At first the boy drew Rand's interest. His red shirt was made out of a material so smooth that he could see a shine coming off of it even in the pale sun that was out. His black pants, seemingly made out of a similar fabric, were tied just above the boy's ankles. What drew Rand's eyes most was the blue scabbard that hung at the stranger's side. Rand had only seen a sword being worn by merchants' guards before, and those were completely of a different style than the one that this boy was wearing. The boy held himself with a confidence that was almost palpable to even Rand.

A look at the girl told Rand two things. One, she was of the same nationality as the boy, and two, she was angry. The look on her face desperately reminded him of Alsbet Luhhan when she lost her temper. The look on her face alone made Rand make a vow to himself to not anger this girl. Other than that, Rand noticed that she was clad in a dress that barely reached her knees. Rand idly wondered if she was cold before seeing both teens turn their heads towards the cart.

Their features softened, and suddenly seemed a lot more inviting to Rand. Clutching his bow and keeping an arrow nocked, he followed the cart as Tam led Bela down the road. When they were about ten spans away, Rand could hear the boy yelling to them.

"Oi!! Hello there!" Seeing the boy wave, Rand could not help but smile. The younger one's attitude caused a bit of relief to stir at the edge of the void. As they continued to approach the pair, Tam returned the greeting.

"Hello there, lad... lass..."

"Could you tell us where we are? I think we're a bit lost." The girl had a sweet voice, Rand noted, but he still pictured that face that she had made earlier when looking at her. At least she didn't seem to be angry all of the time.

"Not a problem at all, lass, this here is Westwood, just about a half-mile west of Emond's Field."

Rand watched the pair as they pondered the answer that his father gave. How anyone could end up in Westwood without knowing where they were, or passing through Emond's field was beyond him. With the Sand Hills and the Mountains of Mist to the west, the Taren to the north, and the White River and Forest of Shadow to the south, it was highly unlikely for them to have gotten here by losing themselves. No matter, they said they were lost, who was Rand to question them?

The boy seemed contemplative before asking his question. "We wouldn't happen to be near Joketsuzoku, would we?"

"Joke ehts zoke, lad? I'm sorry, but I haven't heard of a place like that. Where do you hail from?" Rand looked at his father, knowing that the same idea had passed through his head.

The boy snorted, "That's an easy one, I'm from Tokyo, ya know, in Nihon..?"

"Tokeeoh, you say? Sorry again, lad, I've never heard of that place, nor Nihon. Maybe the mayor has some maps that you can look at. You two are welcome to follow us."

The girl bowed to Tam before smiling. "Thank you for your kindness, sir."

"It's no trouble at all, lass. In any case, I guess I should be introducing myself. I am Tam al'Thor, and this is my son, Rand." Tam gestured back at Rand who waved a little before returning to his watching duties.

The boy smirked as he confidently introduced himself, "I'm Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts."

His companion introduced herself as well. "And I'm Akane Tendo, of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts."

The void wavered as those introductions came out. Confusion lapped at its edges as Rand contemplated what the two had said. A _martial_ art? An art of war? Perhaps these two were more dangerous than he thought, but they seemed to give a feeling of peace with their eyes, unlike that black cloaked rider. No matter what his father had said, he knew that hatred was real.

"A pleasure to meet you both. As I said, feel free to follow us to town. We should get moving anyways; this brandy isn't going to deliver itself, and I could use a warm ale."

Upon seeing Ranma and Akane nod, Tam clucked Bela into motion once more, and the pair of martial artists fell in stride with Rand. Rand once more turned his focus on looking back. He kept looking back until the four of them had reached the thatched roofs of Emond's Field.

The village actually seemed to go into Westwood a bit. Ranma and Akane noticed the thinning of the forest until the sparsest trees were in between the houses. The land itself sloped down, a testament to the mountains to the west. Beyond the village to the east, and until Waterwood and the Mire, Ranma and Akane could see the various farms and pastures that covered the land in patchwork. Not that they knew the names of the forests and such, but those are the names.

As they entered the village, Ranma and Akane looked on in respect. They had seen bigger, but Emond's field was quaint. Children would run up to the cart every so often and run alongside it. After the winter, it would seem that they were anxious to make up for lost playtime, and Bel Tine was just the occasion to do it. Looking around, Ranma noticed that the various goodwives were doing their cleaning, with rugs hanging outside. Bel Tine was approaching and no goodwife would let it get there without their spring cleaning being done first. Up on the rooftops, their husbands were checking the thatch to survey the winter's damage and see if they needed to call Cenn Buie, the thatcher.

Along the way, Ranma and Akane noticed Tam stop to talk with a few men. Not many from Westwood had been to town recently, and the people wanted to hear the news. Tam spoke of the damage from the winter storms, of stillborn lambs, and of brown pastures that should be green by now. He spoke of ravens showing up when songbirds should be there instead.

Many men just clapped Tam on the shoulder at that and said, "We'll survive, Light willing." A few men added to that with a smile, "And even if the Light doesn't will it, we'll survive." Two Rivers people were like that, they always were survivors. That was usually the point when they noticed Ranma and Akane. When asked about Ranma and Akane, Tam told them that they were just wanderers that got lost coming down from Taren Ferry, and he wanted to help them out.

Tam would not have stopped for Wit Congar had the man not come out into the center of the road where Tam would have to halt Bela or run the plumb fool over. The Coplins and the Congars; those two families were so intermarried that none knew where one family ended and the other began, were known from Deven Ride to Watch Hill as complainers and troublemakers. (Perhaps in Taren Ferry too, but none from the lower Two Rivers knew how people in Taren Ferry thought, they were all strange.)

"I have to get this to Bran al'Vere, Wit." Tam gestured to the barrels in the cart, but the gaunt man stood his ground with a bitter look on his face. He was sprawled out on his front steps rather than up on his roof, but his roof looked like it was long overdue for Cenn Buie to come to it. That's just how the Congars and Coplins were; they would start something and not finish it, unless they were worse. Ranma rolled his eyes at the obvious idiot. Akane was holding her head and looking at the ground. Rand could swear he heard a muttered word that sounded like "baka..." come from the girl.

"What are we going to do about Nynaeve, al'Thor?" Wit challenged. "We can't have a Wisdom like that for Emond's Field."

Ranma slunk over to Rand while Wit was speaking with Tam. "Psst... Rand-san, what's a Wisdom?"

Rand nearly jumped out of his skin at Ranma's words. He had been focusing on his father's conversation. Now how to explain what a Wisdom was to an Outlander. Well, it would help if he knew some of the culture from the boy's homeland; he'd have to try his best to explain it. "The Wisdom... ah... erm... the Wisdom she's a Healer... she works with herbs and things and makes the sick better. She also holds weight within the Women's Circle of the town."

Unnoticed by Rand, Akane was listening to the conversation as well. Well it would have been unnoticed had she not said, "Oh, so she's like a doctor."

Rand started in surprise, but calmed at her words. "A doctor? If a doctor is a healer, then yes... I suppose."

"So, I take it these Wisdom people, they can only be girls?"

Rand nodded at Ranma's question before the three of them turned back towards Wit and Tam.

"What business of yours is the Wisdom, Wit Congar?" roared a woman's voice. Wit flinched as his wife marched out of the house. Daise Congar was twice as wide as Wit, a hard-faced woman without an ounce of fat on her. She glared at him with her fists on her hips. "You try meddling in Women's Circle business, and see how you like eating your own cooking. Which you won't do in my kitchen. And washing your own clothes and making your own bed. Which won't be under my roof."

"But, Daise," Wit whined, "I was just…"

"If you'll pardon me, Daise." Tam said. "Wit, the Light shine on you both." He got Bela moving again, and gestured for the three youths to follow him. Tam led the mare around the scrawny fellow before his wife could notice exactly _who_ he was talking to.

There was a reason that the group hadn't accepted any of the invitations to stop for a meal or to get anything hot to drink, though Ranma and Akane looked as if they needed it. The reason was that the goodwives always thought they could find the _perfect_ wife for a widower with a good farm, even if the farm was in Westwood.

Ranma and Akane noticed that Rand seemed to be walking the same speed, if not faster than Tam. There was a reason for this too. Rand would get cornered when Tam was not around with no way to escape outside of being rude. He would be led to a kitchen stool next to the fire and fed meatpies, honeycakes, pastries, etc... And the goodwives would pester him about his father. Tam wasn't getting any younger, they would say, and then mention that he needed a woman in his life. The worst times were when the goodwives would, ever so casually, ask exactly how old Tam was.

Like most Two Rivers folk, Rand had a strong stubborn streak. He hated to be pushed or prodded into anything. In a way, he was like Ranma and Akane. So he walked faster and hoped that Tam would hurry Bela along.

Soon the road opened up into the Green, which was a big open area at the village center. Now was a time for Ranma and Akane to gasp in awe. Even though the Green was mostly covered with brown, dead grass and barren ground, the activity upon it was of interest. Over in the distance was the bridge that separated the North Road which led to Watch Hill and the Old Road which led to Deven Ride. On either side of the bank of the Winesprig, mounds for the Bel Tine fires were being built, and whatever activities that weren't around the fires would be on the Green.

Ranma and Akane, being outsiders, knew nothing of the customs here and thus watched as a group of older women sang and erected the Spring Pole. It was a fir tree trunk without its branches that stood ten feet high, even in the pole that the women had dug for it. A little ways away, a cluster of girls too young to have their hair braided sat cross-legged and watched the older women jealously; occasionally they would sing snippets of the songs that the older women would sing.

According to the custom of Bel Tine, in the morning the men would be surprised at the Spring Pole, and at noon all the unmarried women would dance around it while the unmarried men sang. None knew how this custom started, just that it had always been there, and it was an excuse to sing and dance. People of the Two Rivers didn't need much of an excuse for that.

Bel Tine would be taken up by dancing, singing and feasting. Time would also be taken out for footraces and other contests. Prizes wouldn't only be given for archery, but for the best with a sling or with a quarterstaff. Ranma and Akane sure picked the best time of the year to arrive in Emond's Field, even if it wasn't their fault.

Bel Tine was supposed to come when spring had truly arrived; when the first lambs had been born and when the first crops had started to sprout. However, a lack of green wouldn't stop the people of Emond's Field from celebrating it this year. Everyone in the town could stand for a little singing and dancing, and there was a rumor circulating around about a fireworks display in the Green later- if the first peddler of the year would arrive in time, that is.

At the east end of the Green stood the Winesprig Inn. Its first story was built of river rock, but the foundation was made of an older stone that some said came from the mountains. The white-washed second floor, which was where Brandelwyn al'Vere, innkeeper and mayor of Emond's Field for the past twenty years, lived in back of with his wife and daughters, extended out over the lower floor all the way around the inn. The roof's red tiles, the only roof in the village like that, shimmered in the pale sunlight, and there was smoke coming out of three of the twelve chimneys.

To the south of the inn stretched the remains of a stone foundation. Some said that it was once part of the inn. In the center of it grew an oak tree that extended thirty paces around, and it spread branches thick as a man.

"Here we are, you three." Tam said as he reached for Bela's harness, but the mare stopped in front of the inn before his hands could even touch the leather. "Knows the way better than I do." Tam chuckled.

As the last creak of an axle sounded, Bran al'Vere stepped out of the inn. Ranma noted that for his girth, which was double that of any he had seen in the village, he stepped lightly. Perhaps he had training of some kind. A smile divided the man's round face which was topped off by a tuft of gray hair. The innkeeper was wearing just shirtsleeves and an apron despite the fact that it was cold, and around his neck hung a silver medallion in the form of balance scales.

The medallion, along with a full-size set of scales that were used when merchants came down from Baerlon to trade for wool or tabac, was the symbol for the Mayor's office. Bran wore it only when dealing with merchants or on festivals, feastdays, and weddings. He had it on a day early now, but that night was Winternight when people would be stopping at every house all night long to get a drink or a bite to eat. Perhaps Bran thought that Winternight was a good excuse to wear it early this year, especially with the way the winter was.

"Tam," The mayor shouted as he hurried towards them. "The Light shine on me, it's good to see you at last. And you, Rand, how are you boy?"

"Fine Master al'Vere," Rand replied. "And you sir?" But Bran's attention shifted to the other two people who were standing there.

"Well Tam, it looks like you picked up a couple of strays on your way in to town."

Ranma started at that before he heard Tam's answer. "You could say that, it would seem this lad and lass got lost in Westwood on their way down from Taren Ferry."

"Lost in Westwood, you say? Well, allow me to introduce myself proper to you two, I am Brandelwyn al'Vere, innkeeper of this fine establishment, and Mayor of Emond's Field."

"I'm Ranma Saotome of the Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts, Master al'Vere."

"And I'm Akane Tendo of the Tendo school of Anything Goes Martial Arts."

"Martial Arts you say? Hmm... Well, if you two are lost, I can show you some maps and perhaps direct you to where you need to go, I'll show them to you after we get this business Master al'Thor and I have together through."

Both teens nodded, but Bran's attention was already back on Tam. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't be bringing your brandy this year. You've never waited so late before."

"I've no liking for leaving the farm these days, Bran," Tam responded. "Not with the wolves the way they are. And the weather."

Bran harrumphed. "I could wish somebody wanted to talk about some- thing besides the weather. Everyone complains about it, and folk who should know better expect me to set it right. I've just spent twenty minutes explaining to Mistress al'Donel that I can do nothing about the storks. Though what she expected me to do..." He shook his head.

"An ill omen," an abrasive voice proclaimed, "no storks resting on the rooftops at Bel Tine." Cenn Buie, twisted and as dark as an old root, strode right up to Tam and Bran and leaned on his walking staff, nearly as tall as he was and just as gnarled. He tried to fix each of the men with a beady eye, but couldn't seem to do it properly. "There's more to come, you mark my words."

"Have you become a soothsayer, then, interpreting omens?" Tam wryly questioned "Or do you listen to the wind, like a Wisdom? There's certainly enough of it. Some originating not far from here."

"Mock if you will," Cenn mumbled, "but if it doesn't warm enough for crops to sprout soon, more than one root cellar will come up empty before there's a harvest. By next winter there may be nothing left alive in the Two Rivers but wolves and ravens. If it is next winter at all. Maybe it will still be this winter."

Ranma cleared his throat, causing the older men to look at him. "Wait, so it shouldn't be this cold? What did the weatherman say about it?"

All three men stared at the youth in confusion. Cenn then barked out, "No, lad, it should NOT be this cold at Bel Tine. Who are you anyways? You and that girl there, you two are obviously not from anywhere in the Two Rivers."

"Honestly, am I going to have to keep introducing myself today? I'm Akane, he's Ranma, and we mean no disrespect, sir, but we would like to help Master al'Thor-san get done with what he has to do so we can see the maps."

"You two look barely old enough to be off your mothers' apron strings, and–"

"Now Cenn, I'll not have you be bothering these two, they're just a little lost." Bran gave the man a glare that held all the weight of the Mayor's office in it. "Now what were you saying about the winter?"

"Exactly... the Winter, ask the Wisdom when it's going to end she just runs off. Maybe she doesn't want to tell us what she hears on the wind. Maybe what she hears is that the winter won't end. Maybe it's just going to keep being winter until the wheel turns and there is a new Age."

"Maybe sheep will fly." Tam sarcastically retorted and Bran threw up his hands in annoyance. "The Light protect me from fools. You're sitting on the Village Council, Cenn and now you're spreading that Coplin talk. Well you listen to me. We have enough problems without..."

At that point Ranma and Akane stopped paying attention. Well, Ranma did anyways. He overheard another voice and felt another presence beside the cart, and sure enough, there, his wiry body bent like a stork trying to twist itself in double, was Matrim Cauthon.

His brown eyes sparkled with mischief as Ranma approached and began to listen in on what he was saying to Rand. "...old badger, all grouchy at being pulled out of his den. We're going to let it loose on the Green and watch the girls run."

Ranma watched as Rand's smile broadened before hearing him say in a low tone, "I promised to unload the cider, I'll meet you later though."

Ranma smirked before saying, "I wouldn't release the badger anyways, if Akane found out who did it, she'd likely go ballistic."

Mat nearly jumped out of his skin at hearing Ranma's voice. Luckily for him, he managed to calm himself quickly. "Ah, erm... excuse me..."

Ranma chuckled. "Name's Ranma and you are?"

Mat seemed to gain a little more eloquence, not much, but it was better than stuttering. "I'm Matrim Cauthon, but you can call me Mat." Mat seemed to finally calm down before grinning again. "Anyways, I know of better things than a badger. We have strangers in Emond's Field, other than those two."

Rand's face paled. "A man on horseback?" he asked intently. "A man in a black cloak with a black horse? And his cloak doesn't move in the wind?"

Mat's grin seemed to be wiped from his face. "You saw him too? I thought I was the only one. Don't laugh Rand, but he scared me."

"I'm not laughing. He scared me too. I could swear that he hated me, that he wanted to kill me."

Ranma looked at Mat and looked back at Rand. "I saw the rider too. I ain't got a reason to laugh at you guys for being scared of him. He was creepier than most of the guys I've faced."

Rand locked eyes with Ranma. "Light, you too?" Ranma nodded as Mat started speaking again. "I don't know about hating, Rand, but he was scary enough anyway. All he did was sit on his horse looking at me, just outside the village, but I've never been so frightened in my life. Well, I looked away, just for a moment - it wasn't easy, mind you - then when I looked back he'd vanished. Blood and ashes! Three days, it's been, and I can hardly stop thinking about him. I keep looking over my shoulder." Mat tried to laugh but instead it came out as a croak. "Funny how being scared takes you. You think strange things. I actually thought - just for a minute, mind – it might be the Dark One."

Rand closed his eyes and recited, by rote if by nothing else. "The Dark One and all of the Forsaken are bound in Shayol Ghul, beyond the Great Blight, bound by the Creator at the moment of Creation, bound until the end of time. The hand of the Creator shelters the world, and the Light shines on us all." He drew in a breath before going on. "Besides, even if he were free, what would he be doing down here in the Two Rivers spying on a couple of farm boys?"

"But he wasn't just watching you two, remember, Akane and I saw him too. And we're martial artists, not farm boys. Though Kami-sama knows how much of a tomboy Akane is." Ranma interjected, in the same level voice as the other two so that Akane wouldn't notice. "Question is, why was he watching us at all?"

"I don't know, but I just know that rider was evil, Don't laugh. I'll take an oath on it, maybe it was the Dragon." Mat solemnly replied.

Ranma didn't laugh, but a slight snicker did escape from his mouth. "Mat-san, that rider ain't a dragon, might be part dragon, but he ain't one. He did feel evil though..."

Rand wanted to start speaking before Ranma that time, but was interrupted. "You're just full of cheerful thoughts today, aren't you Mat?" Rand muttered in a grim undertone. "You sound worse than Cenn."

"My mother always said the Forsaken would come for me if I didn't mend my ways. If I ever saw anybody who looked like Ishamael, or Aginor, it was him."

"Everybody's parents scared them with tales of the Forsaken," Rand commented dryly, "most grow out of it. Why not the Shadowman while you're at it?"

Mat glared at his friend. "I haven't been so scared since . . . No, I've never been that scared, and I don't mind admitting it."

"Me either. My father thinks I was jumping at shadows under the trees."

Ranma glanced at the two older boys. "That rider definitely was real. I know it."

Mat nodded solemnly before leaning back against the cart wheel. "My da thinks the same of me, Rand. I told Dav, and Elam Dowtry. They've been watching like hawks ever since, but they haven't seen anything. Now Elam thinks I was trying to trick him. Dav thinks he's down from Taren Ferry – a sheepstealer, or a chickenthief. A chickenthief!"

"It's probably all foolishness anyway," Rand said finally. "Maybe he is just a sheepstealer."

"Well, I didn't like the way he looked at me. And neither did you, not if how you jumped at me is any guide. We ought to tell someone."

"We already have, Mat, both of us, and we weren't believed. Can you imagine trying to convince Master al'Vere about this fellow, without him seeing him? He'd send us off to Nynaeve to see if we were sick."

"There are two- no, four of us, now. Nobody could believe we all imagined it."

Rand scratched his head, apparently thinking it over. Mat was known by most of the village as a troublemaker and a prankster. Doubtless most everyone in the village had been the subject of one of his pranks before. Now his name came up whenever a washline fell and dropped laundry in the dirt or a farmer fell off his horse because the saddle had a loose girth. Mat didn't even have to be around. His support might be worse than having none. Now the other two who said they saw it, Ranma and Akane, well, they were outlanders. Most people from Emond's Field would believe them, save Cenn Buie and the Coplins and Congars; however, they were younger than he was.

"Your father would think you put me and these two up to it, and mine..." Rand glanced over to where Tam and Bran were standing only to find himself looking directly into his father's eyes. Akane was standing right behind Tam, solemn as a mouse. A wide grin split Tam's face as he began to speak.

"Good morning Matrim," Tam said cheerily as he lifted one of the brandy casks out of the cart. "I see you've come to help unload the cider. Good lad."

Mat was on his feet faster than one could sneeze and immediately began to back away. "Good morning to you, Master al'Thor. And to you, Master al'Vere. Master Buie. May the Light shine on you. My da sent me to-"

"No doubt he did," Tam interrupted. "And no doubt since you are a lad who does his chores right off, you've already finished the task already. It shouldn't take too long anyways, if young Ranma here would like to help."

"It ain't no trouble, Master al'Thor-san. I'll help these two to unload."

A clearing of a throat came from Akane, standing behind Tam. "And what am I, chopped liver? I could help tote the casks too!"

Ranma grinned. "Yeah, Master al'Thor-san, Akane's really strong. Strong as a gorilla and twice as thick."

"Ranma..." Akane's face began to redden.

"Heck with her brutish strength she could probably take all of the barrels in at once."

"No..." Akane's trademark mallet began to flicker in her hand.

"Though as clumsy as the uncute tomboy is, she would probably drop them all on the way in."

"baka!!" In the time it takes to blink an eye, Akane was over by Ranma and struck him with her mallet on his head. The pigtailed boy fell to the ground and twitched for a few seconds before getting up.

"Light burn me, lad, are you alright?" Bran al'Vere turned towards Ranma as he climbed to his feet.

"Ah, that was nothing. Most times the Tomboy hits me harder than that. I guess the cold must be getting to her." Ranma glanced over at Tam while rubbing his head, and then saw Mat and Rand who stared at the pair of martial artists like dead fish. "See, what'd I tell you, Master al'Thor-san? Strong as a gorilla."

Tam came out of his shock and worry for the child's safety. "Well lad, I guess you proved your point; Akane can help. Besides, the faster this gets done, the faster you all can see the gleeman."

"Gleeman!" Mat exclaimed, snapping out of his shock, at the same instant that Rand asked, "When will he get here?"

"Foolishness," grumbled Cenn Buie, but he stopped when Bran gave him another glare that held all of the weight of the Mayor's office in it.

Tam leaned against the cart using one of the brandy casks as an armrest.

"Yes, a gleeman, and already here. According to Master al'Vere, he's in a room in the inn right now. "

Ranma began to grin. He didn't know what a gleeman was, but if one could cause this much excitement to rise from the two boys, he might be worth seeing.

"Arrived in the dead of night, he did." Bran shook his head in displeasure. "Pounded on the front door till he woke the whole family. If not for Festival, I'd have told him to stable his own horse and sleep in the stall with it, gleeman or not. Imagine coming in the dark like that."

Ranma could not imagine, could not know that none around these parts traveled beyond the village at night, could not know that they would certainly not do it alone. The thatcher once again could be heard muttering under his breath, but the only words that Ranma could make out were "madman" and "unnatural."

"He doesn't wear a black cloak does he?" Mat suddenly asked. Bran's large belly shook as he chuckled politely. "Black! His cloak is like every gleeman's cloak I've ever seen. More patches than cloak, and more colors than you can think of."

Rand began to laugh out loud, and Ranma and Akane soon joined him. The idea of a gleeman (whatever that was) as the black cloaked rider was preposterous, and the fact that he wasn't it was very relieving. Immediately afterwards, Rand clapped his hand over his mouth, turning red with embarrassment. Ranma and Akane calmed down shortly afterwards.

"You see, Tam," Bran stated. "There's been little enough laughter in this village since winter came. Now even the gleeman's cloak brings a laugh. That alone is worth the expense of bringing him down from Baerlon."

"Say what you will," Cenn suddenly spoke up. "I still say it's a foolish waste of money. And those fireworks you all insisted on sending off for."

"So there are fireworks," Mat said while Ranma grinned, but Cenn went right on talking. "They should have been here a month ago with the first peddler of the year, but there hasn't been a peddler, has there? If he doesn't come by tomorrow, what are we going to do with them? Hold another Festival just to set them off? That's if he even brings them, of course." Ranma frowned, it would seem this village was having more trouble than he thought when they first approached it. However, this Cenn Buie just seemed to be a complainer, and Ranma was tempted to pull what his father would in the situation. However, saying "Suck it up, boy, you want to be a weak girl?" didn't really seem to cut it here, especially with the way Cenn was acting. Besides it was fun watching the adults argue rather than it being him and Akane.

"Cenn", Tam sighed, "You've as much trust as a Taren Ferry man."

"Where is he, then? Tell me that, al'Thor."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Mat demanded in an aggrieved voice. "The whole village would have had as much fun with the waiting as with the gleeman. Or almost, anyway. You can see how everybody's been over just a rumor of fireworks."

"Maybe they wanted it to be a surprise, Mat-san. Fireworks are a nice thing to have around. Rumor is rumor, if they had known-" Ranma glanced at the older boy.

"I can see," Bran replied with a sidelong look at the thatcher. "And if I knew for sure how that rumor started... if I thought, for instance, that somebody had been complaining about how much things cost where people could hear him when the things are supposed to be secret..."

Cenn cleared his throat. "My bones are too old for this wind. If you don't mind, I'll just see if Mistress al'Vere won't fix me some mulled wine to take the chill off. Mayor. Al'Thor." He started heading towards the inn before he finished speaking, and as the door shut behind him, Bran sighed.

"Sometimes I think Nynaeve is right about... Well, that's not important now. You young fellows think for a minute. Everyone's excited about the fireworks, true, and that's only at a rumor. Think how they'll be if the peddler doesn't get here in time, after all their anticipating. And with the weather the way it is, who knows when he will come. They'd be fifty times as excited about a gleeman."

"And feel fifty times as bad if he hadn't come," Rand said slowly. "Even Bel Tine might not do much for people's spirits after that." Akane nodded at that, it made sense.

"You have a head on your shoulders when you choose to use it," Bran said. "He'll follow you on the Village Council one day, Tam. Mark my words. He couldn't do much worse right now than someone I could name."

"None of this is unloading the cart," Tam said abruptly, giving the first cask of brandy to the Mayor. "I want a warm fire, my pipe, and a mug of your good ale." He lifted the second brandy cask up, placing it upon his shoulder.. "I'm sure Rand will thank you for your help, Matrim. And of course the two of you as well. Remember, the sooner the cider is in the cellar..."

"Oh, and when the two of you do manage to come into the common room, I'll have some maps ready for you to look at."

"Thank you, Master al'Vere-san. I'll make sure these idiot boys don't spill anything."

"Hey, who you callin' an idiot, tomboy?"

"I'm calling you one, pervert!"

"Uncute!"

"Cross-dresser!"

"Clumsy!"

Soon both younger teens were pulling down their eyelids and sticking their tongues out at each other. Meanwhile Bran and Tam headed into the inn. Mat and Rand glanced at each other, and spoke conspiratorially to each other.

"How can they go from being so polite one minute to arguing the next?" Mat asked.

"I don't know, but remember, they _are_ outlanders. At least she didn't hit him this time." Rand said with an almost forced smile. "You really don't have to help me if you don't want to, Dav won't keep that badger long."

"Oh why not?" Mat said with a sigh. "Like your da said, the quicker it's in the cellar... Besides we have those two to help us." Turning towards them, he shouted, "HEY! We do have work to do!" He picked up a cask of cider with both hands and headed towards the inn in an almost trot. "Maybe Egwene is around. Watching you stare at her like a poleaxed ox will be as good as a badger anytime."

Ranma and Akane walked back towards the cart, finished with their argument for now. Ranma waved his hands in front of Rand's face upon seeing him freeze. "Uh... Rand-san, we do have some work to do." The pigtailed martial artist effortlessly lifted one of the casks onto his shoulder, and Akane mirrored his actions. Rand took up a cask and the group of four headed into the inn.

As the four of them took their first barrels through the common room, Master al'Vere was already filling a pair of mugs with his best ale, one of his own make. It came from one of the casks against one of the walls in the room. Ranma specifically got nervous when he entered the common room and hurried his step up a bit. A glance at the top of the cask where the innkeeper was could explain Ranma's condition, a yellow cat belonging to the inn named Scratch lay crouched there, with his tail wrapped around his feet. Lucky for Ranma the evil thing was asleep, otherwise Ranma would be a wee bit more nervous.

The common room housed more people than any of the Emond's Fielders expected to be in there on this day. Not only were Bran and Tam in there, but as were four more members of the Village Council, smoking pipes before the fire. Some of them were tapping pipestreams against their teeth, and none of them spoke. They were waiting for Bran and Tam to join them.

Only two of the men at the fire so much as glanced at the boys and girl as they passed through the common room. Haral Luhhan, the blacksmith and Jon Thane, the miller, however Master Luhhan made it much more than a glance. The blacksmith was built much as all smiths are, arms as thick as most men's legs, with heavy muscles rippling down them. He was still dressed in leather too, as if he hurried straight from the forge for this meeting alone. His frown was directed at both of the boys from the village, and then he deliberately straightened up in his chair, and directed his attention to the pipe.

Ranma of course, hurried out of the room, and asked the nearest person to direct him to the cellar. He wanted to get the job done. Shivering, he walked at a brisk pace back towards the common room, just as Rand, Mat and Akane were walking in from there, and then suddenly, the aroma of bread filled the air as Mistress al'Vere burst out from the kitchens.

On her tray were some of her famous crusty loaves along with some plates of cheese and pickles. The aroma and the sight caused a common reaction within Ranma... his stomach growled.

"Oh, goodness," Mistress al'Vere said with a smile. "There's more of this in the kitchen if you all are hungry, I never knew boys your age to not be. Or any other age for that matter. Girls your age as well, dearie." She said with a wink to Akane. "Or if you prefer, I'm baking honeycakes this morning."

Without waiting for the group to reply, she carried the tray into the common room. Within it, the sound of scraping chairs could be heard as men stood up to examine the source of the wonderful wafting aroma. Mistress al'Vere was easily the best cook in Emond's Field, and there was no man for miles who would not leap eagerly for a chance to be seated at her table.

"Honeycakes..." Mat said, smacking his lips.

"Later... or we'll never get done." Rand glanced directly in his friend's eyes.

"Honeycakes sound good..." Ranma's stomach growled once more as he envisioned food.

"Work first, baka!" Somehow Akane had managed to elbow Ranma in the gut while keeping the cask of brandy on her shoulder.

"Alright, alright, I'm doin' it." Ranma added silently, "Uncute tomboy."

This time it was Rand doing the leading to the cellar. A lamp hung over its stairway, located just next to the kitchen doors, and another made a bright pool of light in the room beneath the inn whose walls were made of stone. Racks of wood along the walls held casks of brandy and cider, and larger barrels of ale and wine, some with taps driven into them. Many of the wine barrels were marked by Bran al'Vere's own hand, giving the year they had been bought, what peddler had brought them, and in which city they had been made. However, all the brandy and ale was made by the Two Rivers farmers or by Bran himself. Sometimes peddlers and merchants would bring brandy and ale from outside, but it was never as good, and was bloody expensive. Though Rand would never use that expletive in front of the Wisdom.

Ranma decided to take in the cellar this time, and he did so with awe. Picking up the barrel he had carelessly left on the floor next to a rack, he turned to Rand. "Rand-san, where should I put this?" The older boy led Ranma and Akane to an empty section of the rack and pointed where they should lay down the casks.

"Now," Rand said as they all were laying their casks in the racks, "what exactly did you do so that you have to avoid Master Luhhan?"

Mat shrugged, trying to look innocent. "Nothing, really. I told Adan al'Caar and some of his snot-nosed friends-Ewin Finngar and Dag Coplin-that some farmers had seen ghost hounds, breathing fire and running through the woods. They ate it up like clotted cream."

Ranma glanced over at the older boy. "Ghost dogs? Feh. I've seen weirder."

Neither Rand nor Mat gave any indication that they heard the boy. "And Master Luhhan is mad at you for that?"

"Not exactly." Mat stopped, and then shook his head. "You see, I covered two of his dogs with flour, so they were all white. Then I let them loose near Dag's house. How was I to know they'd run straight home? It really isn't my fault. If Mistress Luhhan hadn't left the door open they couldn't have gotten inside. It isn't like I intended to get flour all over her house." He gave a sharp burst of laughter. "I hear she chased old Luhhan and the dogs, all three, out of the house with a broom."

Ranma began to snicker, Akane started giggling, and Rand winced as he laughed too. "If I were you, I'd worry more about Alsbet Luhhan than about the blacksmith. She's almost as strong, and her temper is a lot worse. No matter, though. If you walk fast, maybe he won't notice you." The look Mat was giving Rand easily told him that he didn't think the boy was funny.

Ranma shivered. "I'd rather walk fast through that room anyways; evil little thing best not come near me."

This caused the older boys to blink. "What do you mean, Ranma?" Rand questioned the younger boy.

"Ranma's highly afraid of cats... I think he saw the inn's cat, and is a bit nervous."

"Oh you mean Scratch?" Ranma winced. "He's harmless, unless you're a rat that is." Mat said with a grin.

"Evil c-cats out to get me..." Ranma murmured under his breath before putting on a brave face. "Well, are we going to finish our job or what? I'm hungry, and a little bit cold."

Rand nodded and began to head back up the stairs. When they reached the common room, it would seem that none of the group had any reason to hurry. Scratch was nowhere to be seen, likely off hunting a rat or something, and the six men were gathered in a tight circle around the fireplace. Tam was speaking in a low voice, and the others were leaning forward, so intent on listening that they would not have noticed had a flock of sheep or herd of cattle crossed their paths. Rand obviously wanted to move closer to listen in, but a look from Mat shattered that idea. He followed Mat out to the cart, as did Ranma and Akane.

On their return to the hallway, they found a tray at the top of the steps. The sweet aroma of honeycakes filled the hallway, and there were four mugs along with a pitcher of steaming mulled cider. Despite his own reproach about waiting until later, Rand found himself making the final trip trying to juggle a cask and a piping hot honeycake. Ranma of course managed to perform such a feat effortlessly, and Akane showed little more strain than Ranma did.

As he sat his last cask into the cellar, Ranma tossed the rest of his honeycake in his mouth after Rand wiped his mouth then said, "Now for the glee-"

Feet pattered on the stairs, and Ewin Finngar halfway fell into the cellar in his haste. His chubby face shining brightly with eagerness to tell his news. "There are strangers in the village." He caught his breath and gave Mat a sardonic glance. "I haven't seen any ghost hounds, but I hear someone floured Master Luhhan's dogs. I hear Mistress Luhhan knows who to look for, too."

Normally the difference in the ages between the elder boys and Ewin Finngar, who was only fourteen, allowed them to take a cynical belief to his statements. This time was different, they exchanged a startled look with each other and Ranma and Akane. More strangers than them? Suddenly the four began to speak at once.

"In the village?" Rand asked. "Not in the woods?"

Shortly afterwards Mat added, "Was his cloak black? Could you see his face?"

Ranma asked as well, "What about his horse? Was it black too?"

Akane was right on top of Ranma. "And did his cloak move in the wind?" Ewin looked uncertainly from one, to the next, until his face finally landed on Akane, and then spoke quickly when Mat took a threatening step. "Of course I could see his face. And his cloak is green. Or maybe gray. It changes. It seems to fade into wherever he's standing. Sometimes you don't see him even when you look right at him, not unless he moves. And hers is blue, like the sky, and ten times fancier than any feastday clothes I ever saw. She's ten times prettier than anybody I ever saw, too. She's a high-born lady, like in the stories. She must be."

Ranma glanced over at Akane. "Gee, he must not be talking about you, Tomboy."

"Oh really, and I suppose you're the other person he's talking about? You aren't even wearing a cloak."

"But I can make it so they can't see me..." Ranma smirked and did a mock move of falling into the Umi-senken stance.

"Don't you dare Ranma Saotome!"

"Alright, alright, I won't."

Ewin stared blankly at the exchange. It would seem there were more than just his strangers in the village this time around. "A-ah, erm... excuse me... My name is Ewin, Ewin Finngar."

Akane turned and directly glared at the poor boy, but her gaze softened, and Ewin felt his heart melt. "I'm Akane Tendo, and this baka is Ranma Saotome."

"Oh sure, introduce me as a baka, Akane!"

"Well you are a baka, baka!"

The fight soon degraded to them making random faces at each other, as Akane hadn't felt the need to wreck the work that they had done. Suddenly Mat smacked his forehead and held the top of his head with both hands while shaking it.

"They're the ones I meant to tell you about," Mat muttered, "before you got me off onto-" He stopped for a second, opening his eyes for a sharp glance at Ewin. "They arrived last evening," Mat continued after a moment or two, "and took rooms here at the inn. I saw them ride in. Their horses, Rand. I never saw horses so tall, or so sleek. They look like they could run forever. I think he works for her."

"In service," Ewin broke in. "They call it being in service, in the stories."

Mat kept going as if Ewin had not spoken. "Anyway, he defers to her, does what she says. Only he isn't like a hired man. A soldier, maybe. The way he wears his sword, it's part of him, like his hand or his foot. Sort of like the way Ranma wears his sword. He makes the merchants' guards look like cur dogs. And err, Rand. I never even imagined anyone like her. She's out of a gleeman's story. She's like... like..." He paused to give Ewin an unpleasant look. "... like a high-born lady," he finished with a sigh.

"But who are they?" Rand asked. Very few strangers came into Emond's Field. Except for Merchants and Peddlers that was, but they weren't really strangers, just outsiders. Emond's Field hadn't had a stranger in the town for five years, and now five at once? At least Ranma and Akane seemed friendly. Maybe the other three would be as well.

"What do they want?" Mat exclaimed. "I don't care what they want. Strangers, Rand, and

strangers like you never even dreamed of. Think of it!"

Ranma and Akane turned towards Mat after calming down a bit. "So, strangers aren't common here?" Akane asked. The boy shook his head.

"Her name is Moiraine," Ewin interjected into the brief silence. "I heard him say it. Moiraine, he called her. The Lady Moiraine. His name is Lan. The Wisdom may not like her, but I do."

"Why wouldn't the Wisdom like her?" Ranma had to question. Maybe the Wisdom wouldn't like him. Not that he cared or anything.

Ewin glanced at the (slightly) older boy once before answering. "She asked the Wisdom for directions this morning," Ewin said, "and called her 'child.'" The two oldest boys in the group softly whistled through their teeth, and Ewin's nearly tripped over his own tongue in his hurry to explain. "The Lady Moiraine didn't know she was the Wisdom. She apologized when she found out. She did. And asked some questions about herbs, and about who is who around Emond's Field, just as respectfully as any woman in the village- more so than some. She's always asking questions, about how old people are, and how long they've lived where they live, and... Oh, I don't know what all. Anyway, Nynaeve answered like she'd bitten a green sweetberry. Then, when the Lady Moiraine walked away, Nynaeve stared after her like, like... Well, it wasn't friendly, I can tell you that."

Ranma whistled. "For a second I thought she was like you, Tomboy. This Wisdom lady, I mean."

Right as Akane was about to jibe him back, Rand asked, "Is that all? You know Nynaeve's temper. When Cenn Buie called her a child last year, she thumped him on the head with her stick, and he's on the Village Council, and old enough to be her grandfather, besides. She flares up at anything, and never stays angry past turning around."

Ranma smirked. "Sounds like a weird combination of Akane and the old ghoul. I won-erk!" Ranma was cut off by an elbow being driven into his stomach by Akane, who turned back to the other boys and sweetly said, "Go on; ignore this baka. He just doesn't know when to shut up."

Ewin gulped loudly in seeing that action. "B-b-but..."

"I said, go ON!" It must have been a trick of the lighting because the other boys could swear they saw the flash of something form around Akane for a second. Whatever it was caused them to quickly turn back to their original topic.

"Anyways..." Rand cleared his throat.

"Anyways, I don't care who Nynaeve thumps, as long as I'm not the one being thumped." Mat said with a smirk, "This is going to be the best Bel Tine ever. A gleeman, a lady, these two," he gestured at Akane who still had her arm embedded in Ranma's stomach, "Who could ask for more? Who needs fireworks?"

"A gleeman?!" Ewin exclaimed with his voice rising sharply.

"Let's go Rand, Akane, Ranma," he glanced at the two outsiders who he felt were more important than the youngest boy there, "we're done here. You have to see this fellow, all of you."

He sprung up the stairs with Ewin clambering to keep up with him, calling, "Is there really a gleeman, Mat? This isn't like the ghost hounds, is it? Or the frogs?"

Rand paused only to turn down the lamp as Ranma and Akane followed Mat out, and then he followed the pair.

As they passed the common room, once more did Ranma look for the cat, fearing that it would strike at any passing moment. He lingered in the room for a few seconds, Akane stalling with him. It was so much warmer in here than it was in the cellar, and the two of them wanted to heat themselves up a bit more before going outside. In the corner of his eye, Ranma noticed that two more men had joined the circle of men around the fire. Bran al'Vere spoke now, his voice pitched so low that it sounded only like a rumbling murmur to those beyond the chairs. The man was emphasizing his words by striking his palm with his forefinger and looking each man in the eye. All of the men nodded in agreement, but it looked to Ranma that the old one, Cenn Buie, he remembered his name was, did so reluctantly.

Akane noticed Rand leave the inn and gripped Ranma on the shoulder to bring him outside. These two were the only ones even remotely near their age, and they seemed to know the town well, and they were friendly, even though they were boys. However, her time with Ranma had made her realize that not every boy was a pervert. Ryoga was obviously not one, after all. Ranma on the other hand...

When the two martial artists got outside, the first thing they noticed was that both the cart and Bela were gone. Most likely she was taken by a stablehand of the inn. Ranma had been to inns like this one when he was training in China. Of course they had more Chinese people and less gaijin as this inn had. Ranma smirked as he heard Mat exclaim,

"For the last time, I am _not _playing a trick on you. There _is _a Gleeman. Now go away. Rand, Ranma, Akane, any one of you, will you tell this woolhead I am telling the truth so he'll leave me alone?"

As Ranma stepped up to give his support to his new acquaintance, his words stopped in his mouth before he could even move it. He was being watched again. He could feel the presence there. Turning, he saw it, on the edge of the inn's tile roof. A large raven, swaying because of the gusts of wind with its head cocked to the side. One of its beady black eyes was focused... directly on him. Or so it seemed. All of the sudden, a rush of anger began to flow through Ranma.

"Filthy carrion eater..." Ranma just realized that Rand was standing next to him and had a sour look on his face, staring at the raven.

"I'm tired of being stared at." It would seem Mat joined his friend on the opposite side that Ranma was at.

"Nasty bird..." The three of them shared a glance, and then their hands were quickly filled with rocks. The boys released the rocks into the air, and they flew true... Until at the last second, the raven stepped aside. Three stones flew by the spot the raven once occupied. The raven ruffled its feathers, and then gave them all a glare with a beady eye. It showed no indication of being afraid, or that something had happened.

"Did you ever see a raven do that?" Rand was staring at the raven in dismay.

Mat shook his head without his gaze ever leaving the raven. "Never, nor any other bird for that matter."

"I have, once. A short time before we woke up in the forest." Ranma said.

"A vile bird," came a woman's voice from somewhere behind the boys. Akane was standing to the right of Ranma, so it couldn't be her. The voice sounded melodic despite its undertones of distaste. "To be mistrusted at the best of times."

With a strident cry, the raven leapt into the air so vehemently that two black feathers fell down from the rooftop.

Turning quickly around, Ranma tried vainly to follow the raven's flight as it sped off towards the peaks of the Mountains of Mist, crossing the Green and Westwood in the process.

Once the raven disappeared from sight, Ranma's gaze fell onto the woman who spoke. This must be the one that Ewin was speaking about. The Lady Moiraine. When he had heard that she had called this Wisdom lady child, Ranma thought that she must be extremely old. However, this was not the case. At first glance, Ranma believed that she couldn't be much older than him, but then he took a closer look, she was far more mature than that. She held herself with an air of maturity that exceeded even his mother. The maturity was clearly visible in those large dark eyes that seemed to swallow him up as he gazed into them. Ranma felt he should tear his gaze away, lest Akane... He could not. Her clothes, they were interesting on her as well. She was dressed like he would expect a very rich person to dress, if it were ancient times that is. Her cloak was cyan velvet with very thick silver embroidery of leaves and vines that were on the frills of it. Her dress was an even darker blue than her cloak and it shimmered as she moved. Around her neck, she wore a gold necklace made of chains, and there was another gold band around her head that had a blue stone rest on her forehead. She wore a belt of gold and on her ring finger of her right hand she had a ring of the like which Ranma had never seen before. Apparently it was a snake eating its own tail.

"Good morning, Mistress . . . ah . . . Lady Moiraine," Rand was obviously nervous.

Mat echoed him, a bit more smoothly, but not much more. "Good Morning, Lady Moiraine."

Ranma smiled and repeated the others, albeit with a different way, "Good Morning, Moiraine-sama."

She smiled, and Ranma could not help but wonder about her. "You know my name," she said, obviously delighted with the prospect, "but you must call me Moiraine, not lady, nor do I deserve that honorific, young one. And what are your names?"

Ewin jumped forward before either of the others could speak. "My name is Ewin Finngar, my lady. I told them your name; that's how they know. I heard Lan say it, but I wasn't eavesdropping. No one like you has ever come to Emond's Field, before. There's a gleeman in the village for Bel Tine, too. And tonight is Winternight. Will you come to my house? My mother has apple cakes."

"I shall have to see," she replied, placing a hand atop Ewin's shoulder. Her eyes shone with glee, but that was the only area that gave any sign of it. "I do not know how well I could compete against a gleeman, Ewin. But you must all call me Moiraine." She looked expectantly at Rand and Mat.

"I'm Matrim Cauthon, La . . . ah . . . Moiraine," Mat gave a jerky bow to her.

Rand also introduced himself, only by speaking his name. Moiraine nodded, and then glanced over the other two out there. Her eyes seemed to linger on Akane for a second before passing to Ranma and widening a bit. Perhaps she was surprised, but this woman did not wear her emotions on her sleeve, and she gave nary a sign of it save her eyes.

"A young man with a sword, and a young girl. You two are obviously not from here, could I hear your names as well?"

Ranma smirked before confidently answering, "I'm Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts."

Akane gave Moiraine a bow before she answered, "My name is Akane Tendo, of the Tendo branch of the same school."

Moiraine nodded, before glancing around the group. "You two, you are staying at the inn, are you not?"

"I don't know... maybe." Akane looked uncertain.

"Well, if you are, I would like to speak with you later."

Moiraine walked up to the two martial artists and pressed a silver coin into their hands, carefully. "For your trouble. And the three of you," she said, turning towards the other boys, "I may have some small tasks to be done from time to time while I am in Emond's Field, perhaps you may be able to assist me?"

The woman laughed as the three of them were stumbling over each other to affirm her statement. And then she surprised Rand by pressing a coin into his hand as well. "Here."

Rand started, "There's no need," but Moiraine simply waved her hand in a dismissive way as she gave Ewin a coin as well. She then pressed a coin into Mat's hand, much as the same way she did Rand and the two martial artists.

"Of course, there is," she said, smiling at the three. "You cannot be expected to work for nothing, nor could I just ask your story for nothing. Consider this a token, and keep it with you, so you will remember that you have agreed to come to me when I ask it. There is a bond between us now."

"I'll never forget!" Ewin supplied.

"Later, we must talk," Moiraine solemnly said, "and you must each tell me about yourselves."

"Lady . . . I mean, Moiraine?" Rand slowly asked as the woman began to turn away. She stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder, forcing the young man to swallow before going on. "Why have you come to Emond's Field?" Though her expression remained unchanged, Rand must have felt he offended her in some way for he continued, "I don't mean to be rude. I'm sorry. It's just that no one comes into the Two Rivers except the merchants, and peddlers when the snow isn't too deep to get down from Baerlon. Almost no one. Certainly no one like you. The merchants' guards sometimes say this is the back end of forever, and I suppose it must seem that way to anyone from outside. I just wondered."

Her smile slowly disappeared then, as if she were contemplating something. For a moment, she simply stared at Rand. "I am a student of history," she began at last, "a collector of old stories. This place you call the Two Rivers has always interested me. Sometimes I study the stories of what happened here long ago, here and at other places."

Ranma glanced at her. "You mean you actually enjoy school?"

Moiraine simply smiled at the boy. "Yes."

"What else would you call it besides the Two Rivers?" Mat started, "That's what it's always been called."

"As the Wheel of Time turns," Moiraine said, half talking to herself with an almost distant look in her eyes, "places wear many names. Men wear many names, many faces. Different faces, but always the same man. Yet no one knows the Great Pattern the Wheel weaves, or even the Pattern of an Age. We can only watch, and study, and hope."

Ranma snorted at that, causing him to receive a glare from Akane. Ignoring the glare, he added, "I don't want to believe my life is scripted, but damn I could blame a lot of my problems on that if it were."

"The Pattern is what has already happened, but what has yet to happen is up to us and the turning of the Wheel." Moiraine said simply before adding, "Later we will talk. Later." She turned and walked toward the Wagon Bridge.

As she was leaving, a tall man that even Ranma had not noticed before moved away from the front of the inn to follow her. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and his clothes were of green and gray so that he would almost fade into the brush. His cloak seemed to be a different color each time Ranma looked at it, sometimes seeming to disappear into the background behind it. Ranma assessed this guy's skill with the sword by just looking at him. Obviously, he was better than Kuno, wearing the sword as if it was part of his body rather than a crutch. Ranma thought about how fun it would be to spar with him.

In passing the five youths, his eyes glanced over them, seeming to linger on each of them, as if weighing them with his eyes. Ranma knew then that he was a decent fighter, for he was judging their skill at a glance.

"That was Lan," Ewin spoke as if he had been holding his breath. The look given could do that. "I'll bet he's a Warder."

A confused look plastered itself onto Ranma's face. "A Warder?" He asked.

"Don't be a fool." Mat nervously laughed. "Warders are just in stories. Anyway, Warders have swords and armor covered in gold and jewels, and spend all their time up north, in the Great Blight, fighting evil and Trollocs and such."

"He could be a Warder," Ewin maintained.

"Did you see any gold or jewels on him?" Mat jeered. "Do we have Trollocs in the Two

Rivers? We have sheep. I wonder what could ever have happened here to interest someone like her."

"Something could have," Rand spoke gradually. "They say the inn's been here for a

thousand years, maybe more."

"A thousand years of sheep," Mat said.

Ranma grabbed Akane by the arm at that instant and took her to the side. He began to speak to her rapidly in Nihonese. A language he hadn't realized that he wasn't speaking in until he started to speak in it.

"Akane, I don't think we're in China no more."

"Gee, what was your first clue, baka?"

"Not what I meant, tomboy. I mean I think we time traveled again."

"How? The Naban Mirror is broken."

"Who said that was the only thing that could do it?

Akane smacked herself in the forehead. "These things always happen around you, now don't they?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Switching back to the Plain Chant, Common, Akane said, "It means everything is your fault, Ranma."

"Is not... Hey, what's going on over there?" Ranma pointed to a large gathering of people. The sound of pots and metal clanging together along with the sound of moving wagons announced what had happened. The peddler had arrived.

(End Chapter One)

Author's notes: Damn, this is ridiculous. I kept trying to end the chapter, but it kept growing and growing. Finally I picked a good stopping point. Anyways, I promised a glossary, and it will start at the end of my Author's notes. Not only Wheel of Time stuff will be in it though, but also some Ranma things. Heh, 12,996 words in story alone. I feel good now. Thanks to all of my prereaders and to everyone who reviewed.

Send C&C to . Don't flame me... I burn easily...

Glossary:

Notes on Dates: Robert Jordan used some special dating systems for the Wheel of Time Novels, here is a quote from his glossary as for how they work. "A Note on Dates in This Glossary. The Toman Calendar (devised by Toma dur Ahmid) was adopted approximately two centuries after the death of the last male Aes Sedai, recording years After the Breaking of the World (AB). So many records were destroyed in the Trolloc Wars that at their end there was argument about the exact year under the old

system. A new calendar, proposed by Tiam of Gazar, celebrated freedom from the Trolloc threat and recorded each year as a Free Year (FY). The Gazaran Calendar gained wide acceptance within twenty years after the Wars' end. Artur Hawkwing attempted to establish a new calendar based on the founding of his empire (FF, From the Founding), but only historians now refer to it. After the death and destruction of the War of the Hundred Years, a third calendar was devised by Uren din Jubai Soaring Gull, a scholar of the Sea Folk, and promulgated by the Panarch Farede of Tarabon.

The Farede Calendar, dating from the arbitrarily decided end of the War of the Hundred Years and recording years of the New Era (NE), is currently in use."

I will be using his dating system for anything that happens in Wheel of Time, and then some. The time period _Anno Domini_ (AD) will be used for any dates pre-Third Impact, and after Third Impact dates will be known as ATI.

**Aiel**: People who are native to the Aiel Waste, east of the Spine of the World. They are a warrior people who

**Aes Sedai**: Old Tongue for "Servants of All". In the Age of Legends, all channelers were called this. Now only female channelers can be Aes Sedai due to the taint on _saidin_.

**al'Thor, Tam:** A Shepard in Emond's Field. See also: _al'Thor, Rand_

**al'Thor, Rand:** Son of Tam al'Thor, this child has just recently reached marriageable age, and is an excellent shot with the bow.

**al'Vere, Brandewlyn:** Mayor of Emond's Field and Innkeeper of theWinesprig Inn.  
**al'Vere, Mistress:** An excellent Chef and wife of the Mayor.

**Baerlon:** A city not too far north of the Two Rivers.

**Buie, Cenn: **Resident Thatcher of Emond's Field, a complainer.

**Cauthon, Matrim: **A friend of Rand al'Thor, a known prankster in Emond's Field.

**Caradier:** Actually, I made up this word. In this fic it means "Ice Sword" which is the name of the katana, save its other name. See also: Gekkaja.

**Congar, Daise: **Wife of Wit Congar, she is on the Women's Circle, and is adamant about interference.

**Congar, Wit: **A complainer who obviously is lazy.

**Eelfinn:** Fox-like creatures that can be found beyond the twisted doorway that Happosai entered.

**Emond's Field:** A village within the Two Rivers.

**Finngar, Ewin:** A young boy from Emond's Field.

**Happosai:** Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts.

**Kitsune: **see Eelfinn.

**Moiraine:** A woman who is apparently a lady. Mysterious and searches for stories in Emond's Field.

**Lan: ** Mysterious man who accompanies Moiraine to Emond's Field. Carries a sword.

**Saotome, Genma:** Ranma's father. Cursed to turn into a panda.

**Saotome, Ranma: **Hero of the series: Ranma 1/2, Brash and arrogant, he is an excellent martial artist of great repute, at least in his own time.

**Tendo, Akane:** Fiancée of Ranma. Angers easily over the silliest of things, and usually takes her frustrations out on Ranma.

**Tendo, Kasumi:** Akane's eldest sister. A bit vapid and very kind.

**Tendo, Nabiki: **Akane's older sister, the middle Tendo sister. Disappeared shortly before the Second Impact.


	4. Chapter 2: A Peddler and a Gleeman

Moiraine smiled to herself as she crossed Wagon Bridge. The people of Emond's Field were as like their ancestors as they weren't. Evidently stubbornness could be inherited. She continued to cross, and was unsurprised as Lan walked up to her and began to speak.

"If I may ask, what was that about?"

Lan was obviously agitated, well obvious to Moiraine anyways. Outwardly he showed no sign of any emotion, carefully looking around at all times, and trying to keep Moiraine safe.

"Now, old friend, two of those five were born around the right time." Moiraine's tone was attempting to be comforting, but Lan knew better.

"And the other three? I saw you give the boy with the sword and the girl the same treatment." Lan furrowed his brow, an outward sign of exasperation, with the tone of his voice reflecting it. His Borderlands accent was beginning to shine through a little.

"The girl is almost like the Wisdom of this village in a way, but more like the innkeepers daughter. The boy... He vexes me. There is a mystery about Ranma Saotome, and some familiarity about him." Moiraine's eyes twinkled as she glanced over at Lan. "What do you think of them?"

Lan remained stone-faced, but there was a feeling of pride that Moiraine felt from him. "The two older ones are simply farm boys, the youngest as well. I doubt they've been in anything more than a fistfight, but likely they are good with either the staff or the bow. The other two, the outlanders, well they are obviously warriors. The boy more so than the girl; he carries that sword much in the same way I do mine, and the way he moves, with nary one movement wasted... That scares me."

Moiraine arched her eyebrow at that. "Why does that scare you, Lan?" Her voice was solemn at this point as they passed by where the fire was going to be lit the next day.

"He's too young. Not even the Aiel at that age are that much of a warrior. He must have had an extremely difficult training regimen to reach that level. The girl is not quite as strong, but I'd probably place her at just below me in skill."

The woman nodded at Lan's response. Perhaps that would explain why Ranma troubled her so, but what she was feeling come off of him was so close to what she felt coming off of Akane that it was disturbing. Moiraine and Lan continued to walk down the road, making way for the peddler's wagon as it passed.

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1/2 an Age Book One: The Wild Horse Cometh

Chapter Two: A Peddler and a Gleeman

By Ellf

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Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and publishing rights to it are held by Viz and Kitty Films in the United States, and Shokugan Entertainment in Japan. Wheel of Time is the property of Robert Jordan, and publishing rights are held by Tor Books in the United States.

Ranma and Akane stopped arguing as they noticed a considerable crowd heading towards the Wagon Bridge. What was happening that could draw such a large crowd? The pigtailed boy looked around for the only people that he knew in this village. Upon spotting Rand, Ranma started towards him, but soon the gathering was too large for him to spot him. It seemed like everyone in Emond's Field was waiting for something. Soon the sound of squeaking wagon wheels and the clanging of pots and pans announced what it was. At first it wasn't obvious to Ranma who exactly this person was, but then whispers began to travel through the crowd. Padan Fain was the man's name, and he was a peddler.

Fain wasn't an entirely impressive man in of himself. He was thin, and his height was less than that of even Ranma's girl form. His arms were long and lanky. His most protruding feature was his nose, large and hooked as it was. To anyone who wasn't Ranma, the man was simply a peddler, but Ranma was trained to read people and their auras. However, his ability wasn't perfect, but even so, something about Fain seemed... wrong somehow. Almost as if he had dark presence inside of him. Ranma made a note to not trust the man any further than Mat could throw him. He would say Akane, but the Tomboy could throw pretty far.

Ranma looked around for Rand and Mat, but could not see them because of the crowd. He did spot the men who were smoking in the inn, and they were still smoking regardless. Everyone in the crowd seemed to be looking expectantly at Fain. Some even pleaded with him to speak, to tell the news of the world. Looking over at the men, he could tell they were agitated too, they were huffing and puffing on their pipes eagerly, but they stayed quiet.

Ranma did finally spot Mat and Rand; they had made it to the front of the crowd and were speaking with another boy about their age. The boy had broad shoulders and visible muscles, even with the cloak he was wearing. Ranma shivered involuntarily. Noticing that cloak only reminded him of his lack of one. Luckily his tied off pants managed to keep him decently warm. He idly wondered how Akane was doing, and glanced over at her to see. Akane had no visible sign of being cold, and that was good enough for him. Besides, it looked as if this peddler was about to speak.

"...Later, I said!" Rand's voice could be heard over the crowd as Fain stood up in the wagon seat. Everybody turned to look at Rand, and he blushed a crimson red, and he tried to shrink back into the crowd.

Fain gave the young man an appraising look before tugging at his cloak and giving a loud harrumph. "No, not later," he announced, "I will be telling you now." As he spoke, he made broad gestures, extending his message to the entire crowd. "You are thinking you have had troubles in the Two Rivers, are you? Well, all the world has troubles, from the Great Blight south to the Sea of Storms, from the Aryth Ocean in the west to the Aiel Waste in the east. And even beyond. The winter was harsher than you've ever seen before, cold enough to jell your blood and crack your bones? Ahhh! Winter was cold and harsh everywhere. In the Borderlands they'd be calling your winter spring. But spring does not come, you say? Wolves have killed your sheep? Perhaps wolves have attacked men? Is that the way of it? Well, now. Spring is late everywhere. There are wolves everywhere, all hungry for any flesh they can sink a tooth into, be it sheep or cow or man. But there are things worse than wolves or winter. There are those who would be glad to have only your little troubles." Fain paused at that moment, expectantly, waiting for something.

"What could be worse than wolves killing sheep, and men?" Cenn Buie loudly demanded of the man. Others in the crowd seemed to agree with him. Ranma glanced at the older man, and then back at the peddler. He could predict the man's answer, even with his limited knowledge of the world.

"Men killing men." Yes, Ranma was correct. The only thing that could possibly be worse than the killing of men by wolves would be what is on the news that Akane's father watches every night. Or at least what he did watch. Shocked murmurs went through the crowd. ""It is war I mean. There is war in Ghealdan, war and madness. The snows of the Dhallin Forest are red with the blood of men. Ravens and the cries of ravens fill the air. Armies march to Ghealdan. Nations, great houses and great men, send their soldiers to fight."

"War?" One man, Master al'Vere, the Mayor, Ranma identified him as, asked in an odd voice. While war was not unknown to Ranma himself, from the looks of this town it was here. "Why are they having a war?"

Fain smirked and suddenly Ranma had the hairs on the back of his neck stick up. The lanky man was hiding something; he knew it. The peddler leaned forward as if he was about to convey a secret to the Mayor, but his voice was obviously meant to carry over the crowd. "The standard of the Dragon has been raised, and men flock to oppose. And to support."

Ranma raised his eyebrow at that. This was the second time he'd heard of the Dragon today. First from Mat, and now from Fain. It became obvious that he was missing something as one long gasp rose from the crowd.

"The Dragon!" A random person from the crowd moaned. "The Dark One's loose in Ghealdan!"

"Not the Dark One," Haral Luhhan growled. "The Dragon's not the Dark One. And this is a false Dragon, anyway."

"Let's hear what Master Fain has to say," the Mayor said, but the crowd would not shut up that easily.

"Just as bad as the Dark One!"

"The Dragon broke the world, didn't he?"

"He started it! He caused the Time of Madness!"

"You know the prophecies! When the Dragon is reborn, your worst nightmares will seem like your fondest dreams!"

"He's just another false Dragon. He must be!"

"What difference does that make? You remember the last false Dragon. He started a war, too. Thousands died, isn't that right, Fain? He laid siege to Illian."

"It's evil times! No one claiming to be the Dragon Reborn for twenty years, and now three in the last five years! Evil times! Look at the weather!"

Ranma glanced over at Akane. Apparently she was as confused as he was. Ranma was about to speak up, but for once, thought against it as he wouldn't know what to say. The Dragon evidently was a touchy subject for the town. Prophecies? The pigtailed martial artist had just reconfirmed his belief that they had time traveled once more. As if the town's layout wasn't indication enough.

The Mayor spoke and interrupted Ranma's thoughts. "Stop this! Be quiet! Stop working yourselves to a lather out of your own imaginations. Let Master Fain tell us about this false Dragon." The people began to become quieter, but Cenn Buie ignored the order and refused to be silent.

"Is this a false Dragon?" the thatcher asked sourly.

The innkeeper blinked and then scolded the man, "Don't be an old fool, Cenn!"

But Cenn had gotten the crowd started again.

"He can't be the Dragon Reborn! Light help us, he can't be!"

"You old fool, Buie! You want bad luck, don't you?"

"Be naming the Dark One, next! You're taken by the Dragon, Cenn Buie! Trying to bring us all harm!"

Cenn looked around quietly, trying to stare down those who were glaring at him, and then he raised his voice. "I didn't hear Fain say this was a false Dragon. Did you? Use your eyes! Where are the crops that should be knee high or better? Why is it still winter when spring should be here a month?" Some people shouted angrily for the thatcher to hold his tongue "I will not be silent! I've no liking for this talk, either, but I won't hide my head under a basket till a Taren Ferry man comes to cut my throat. And I won't dangle on Fain's pleasure, not this time. Speak it out plain, peddler. What have you heard? Eh? Is this man a false Dragon?"

The peddler simply shrugged and wagged a finger, oddly reminding Ranma of a character from a certain Anime he liked, but not quite. "As to that now, who can say until it is over and done?" He paused with a secretive grin that made him look even more like the infamous mazoku. "I do know," he said in a tone that was far too relaxed, "that he can wield the One Power. The others couldn't, But he can channel. The ground opens beneath his enemies' feet, and strong walls crumble at his shout. Lightning comes when he calls and strikes where he points. That I've heard, and from men I believe."

Ranma's interest was garnered, even more so now. He didn't know what channeling was, but it sounded like it was some powerful technique. A stunned silence came over the crowd as Ranma glanced over at Akane to gauge her reaction. The girl appeared to be staring at the peddler, and paying attention intently. Glancing over at Rand's father, he could see the man trying to pull the Mayor close to him, but at that moment Ewin Finngar burst out.

"He'll go mad and die! In the stories, men who channel the Power always go mad, and then waste away and die. Only women can touch it. Doesn't he know that?" The boy ducked under a swipe from the thatcher.

Meanwhile Ranma was thinking _'Only women can touch it, eh? Men can't channel without going mad? Hmm... there's a challenge here.'_

"Enough of that from you, boy." The thatcher shook his right gnarled fist in Ewin's face. "Show a proper respect and leave this to your elders. Get away with you!"

"Hold steady, Cenn," Tam growled. "The boy is just curious. There's no need of this foolishness from you."

"Act your age," Bran added. "And for once remember you're a member of the Council."

Cenn glowered and his face seemed to become darker with each word from either of the men until he turned purple. "You know what kind of women he's talking about. Stop frowning at me, Luhhan, and you, too, Crawe. This is a decent village of decent folk, and it's bad enough to have Fain here talking about false Dragons using the Power without this Dragon-possessed fool of a boy bringing Aes Sedai into it. Some things just shouldn't be talked about, and I don't care if you will be letting that fool gleeman tell any kind of tale he wants. It isn't right or decent."

"I never saw or heard or smelled anything that couldn't be talked about." Tam said; however, the peddler wasn't finished speaking yet.

"The Aes Sedai are already into it," Fain spoke up. "A party of them has ridden south from Tar Valon. Since he can wield the Power, none but Aes Sedai can defeat him, for all the battles they fight, or deal with him once he's defeated. If he is defeated."

Someone in the crowd let out a loud moan, and Ranma watched as Tam and Bran exchanged an uneasy glance between them. All this commotion over a man who could channel, one that claimed to be a Dragon. There was far more going on here than Ranma knew, but he was going to pay attention until he found out.

Ranma moved a little bit closer to Akane and whispered to her. "Really excited about all of this, ain't they?"

Akane turned to Ranma with a confused look on her face. "Yes, they are. This Dragon person must be a real terror. Possibly even more of one than Saffron. I bet he's a pervert."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "What is it with you and perverts, Akane?"

"He's a man, so he must be a pervert. I mean, look at all the people he has riled up." Akane gestured at the crowd that they stood behind. The people standing close to them were too preoccupied with the news of the Dragon to notice the outsiders speaking in a different tongue. "Don't worry, Ranma. I'm sure he's not as big a pervert as you."

Ranma may not have been angry, but he did respond to the barb. "Hey, who're you calling a pervert, tomboy?"

"Well, Happosai isn't here, so it must be you, Ranma."

Ranma twitched and then harrumphed. By this time, Tam managed to whisper into the Mayor's ear, Bran was about to make an announcement. "All of you listen. Be quiet and listen!" Ranma disengaged in his argument to turn towards the Mayor. "This goes beyond mere news from outside. It must be discussed by the Village Council. Master Fain, if you will join us inside the inn, we have questions to ask."

"A good mug of hot mulled wine would not go far amiss with me just now," The peddler spoke while chuckling. Jumping down from the wagon, he dusted his hands off and cheerily straightened his cloak. "Will you be looking after my horses, if you please?"

"I want to hear what he has to say!" Ranma nodded in affirmation to that statement.

"You can't take him off! My wife sent me to buy pins!" That was the idiot from earlier, Wit Congar. People gave him strange looks and he hunched his shoulders, but he held his ground.

"We've a right to ask questions, too," somebody near Ranma and Akane shouted. "I---"

"Be silent!" Bran bellowed, causing the entire crowd to hush. "When the Council has asked its questions, Master Fain will be back to tell you all his news. And to sell you his pots and pins. Hu! Tad! Stable Master Fain's horses."

Tam and Bran moved in on either side of Fain and led him into the inn. The rest of the men now identified as the Village Council followed them, and the door was shut and barred behind them. Some of the crowd ran up to the door and demanded to be let in.

"Go home!" came the shout from indoors.

Some people remained crowded around the inn, muttering about what the peddler said, what it meant and what questions the Council was asking. A few gazed in through the windows of the inn, and some even asked the two who had come to take Fain's horses what they knew.

Ranma ignored the crowd and walked over to Akane, who was sitting on the edge of the old stone fountain in the square. The pigtailed boy smirked as he approached his fiancée. The shorthaired tomboy glanced up at Ranma. "Ghealdan? Tar Valon? Ranma, I don't remember hearing any of those names when we were studying history in Furinkan."

Ranma nodded. "Maybe we aren't in the past then, Akane. You heard what they said about the Dragon and Aes Sedai. They "broke" the world. Maybe we're in the future."

"And what are Aes Sedai exactly? The peddler said that they could touch the One Power, what does that mean?"

"I don't know, but I'll bet Rand does. If not him, that Moiraine woman might." Ranma glanced over at the al'Thor boy who was sitting not too far from where Akane was sitting. Rand looked far too preoccupied with his thoughts to have heard them. Perhaps he did, but the way he looked gave no indication to otherwise. Ranma began to speak a little more with Akane, making small talk, and trying not to anger her in any way. Luckily he was not sticking his foot in his mouth for once.

The crowd slowly began to disperse, still shaking their heads and murmuring. The idiot from earlier, Wit Congar, was staring at the abandoned peddler's wagon; perhaps he thought that he'd by some miracle find Fain within it.

Mat and the other boy made their way over to where Rand was sitting, which happened to not be too far from Ranma. In fact, Mat bumped into the martial artist on his way over. Ranma turned and grinned at the older boy as he apologized. Ranma just shook his head. "Ya didn't do any damage, I'm fine."

Mat nodded and then turned excitedly to Rand. "I don't see how the gleeman could beat this, I wonder if we might get to see this false Dragon?"

The well built, shaggy haired lad shook his head. "I don't want to see him. Somewhere else, maybe, but not in the Two Rivers. Not if it means war."

Ranma nodded sagely, looking oddly like his father as he did so. "War is never something to wish on anyone. I saw what it was like in Korea's DMZ, not a pretty sight."

The shaggy haired boy turned to the pigtailed martial artist. "Korea? DMZ? Oh, you must be one of the outsiders that Mat spoke about. Ranma, was it? What are those things that you speak of?"

"Yes, I'm Ranma. Korea's a country (actually two) near mine and Akane's homeland. The DMZ stands for Demi- Demil.."

"Demilitarized Zone, baka." Akane supplied helpfully. "You went through it, and you didn't pay attention to what the name is? Honestly... only you, Ranma." Akane shook her head.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!?" Ranma shouted a little loudly. The other boy who asked the question suddenly began to wave his thick-muscled arms.

"Wait! No need for you two to fight! Calm down. I asked a question, and you answered. I'm Perrin Aybara, by the way."

Ranma calmed down a little bit, and Akane hadn't even become angry yet. Something about Perrin seemed to calm them down a bit. Perhaps it was his size, but that never cowed Ranma before. Ranma couldn't figure out what it was, but Perrin had somehow managed to diffuse a fight between him and Akane before it happened. Ranma still had some questions.

"What exactly is this Dragon person?" Ranma asked with some curiosity. "He must be someone pretty fierce to have you all like this."

Rand spoke up at that moment. "The Dragon is the person who began the Breaking of the World after the War of Power. The Aes Sedai continued it, after he died. There are prophecies of his return."

"I heard a story once," Mat said, starting off slow, "from a wool-buyer's guard. He said the Dragon would be reborn in mankind's greatest hour of need, and save us all."

"Well, he was a fool if he believed that," Perrin said firmly. "And you were a fool to listen." The blacksmith apprentice sounded a bit agitated, not angry, but agitated, definitely. "I suppose he claimed we'd all live in a new Age of Legends afterwards, too."

"I didn't say I believed it," Mat insisted. "I just heard it. Nynaeve did, too, and I thought she was going to skin me and the guard both. He said - the guard did - that a lot of people do believe, only they're afraid to say so, afraid of the Aes Sedai or the Children of the Light. He wouldn't say any more after Nynaeve lit into us. She told the merchant, and he said it was the guard's last trip with him."

"A good thing, too," Perrin said. "The Dragon going to save us? Sounds like Coplin talk to me."

"I don't know, Perrin. Maybe that guard was right." Akane started. "I don't know the legends or prophecies about this Dragon person, but maybe, just maybe..."

Rand, Perrin and Mat glanced at Akane. "I doubt it. The stories all say that the Dragon broke the world with the help of the Aes Sedai." Rand said.

Mat spoke up again. "The merchant said some other things too. He said the world would be torn apart by the Dragon's coming."

"That would surely save us," Perrin sarcastically spoke. "Another Breaking."

"Burn me!" Mat rumbled. "I'm only telling you what the guard said."

Perrin shook his head. "I just hope the Aes Sedai and this Dragon, false or not, stay where they are. Maybe that way the Two Rivers will be spared."

"You think they're really Darkfriends?" Mat had a frown on his face, but looked thoughtful as well.

"Who?" Rand asked at the same time as Ranma and Akane echoed, "Darkfriends?"

"Aes Sedai."

Rand glanced at Ranma and Akane, who had confused looks on their faces, and then over to Perrin, who simply shrugged. "The stories," he slowly started, but Mat cut him off.

"Not all the stories say they serve the Dark One, Rand."

"Light, Mat," Rand said, "they caused the Breaking. What more do you want?"

"That doesn't mean they serve the "Dark One", Rand. They might have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kami-sama knows I've been in some situations like that."

Ranma looked on as the others shrugged. "They did cause the Breaking though." Perrin said.

Ranma noticed a woman who had her hair in a long braid walking up behind Mat. She was hiding her presence well, but with his practice against Tofu, she was not too hard to detect. He thought of perhaps pointing her out to Mat, but he soon began speaking again. She had in her company, yet another young woman. One not much older than Akane.

"I suppose." Mat sighed, but the next moment he was grinning again. "Old Bili Congar says they don't exist. Aes Sedai. Darkfriends. Says they're just stories. He says he doesn't believe in the Dark One, either."

Ranma smirked, this sounded like it was going to get good.

Perrin snorted. "Coplin talk from a Congar. What else can you expect?"

"Old Bili named the Dark One. I'll bet you didn't know that."

"Light!" Rand breathed, and Ranma frowned. It sounded like that was a bad thing. Good thing he didn't know what the name was for the Dark One, otherwise he'd likely say it. Well, he did know one "Dark One"; more like old pervert.

Mat's grin broadened. "It was last spring, just before the cutworm got into his fields and nobody else's. Right before everybody in his house came down with yellow eye fever. I heard him do it. He still says he doesn't believe, but whenever I ask him to name the Dark One now, he throws something at me."

Ranma grinned at that just as the woman behind Mat spoke, causing all but him to jump in surprise. This must have been the woman described as the Wisdom. What was her name? Ah yes, Nynaeve al'Meara, but who was this other girl?

"You are just stupid enough to do that, aren't you, Matrim Cauthon?" Nynaeve al'Meara stepped into the huddle of the five of them, and glared at the offending party. Rand quickly jumped to his feet. The Wisdom was a slender woman who stood only up to Mat's shoulder. Ranma noticed that the three boys became nervous at her presence. Ranma remained completely calm. Nynaeve didn't seem as dangerous as Miss Hinako, but she did strike fear into the older ones. "I suspected something of the sort about Bili Congar at the time, but I thought you at least had more sense than to try taunting him into such a thing. You may be old enough to be married, Matrim Cauthon, but in truth you shouldn't be off your mother's apron strings. The next thing, you'll be naming the Dark One yourself."

"No, Wisdom," Mat disputed, obviously looking like he didn't want to be there. "It was old Bil - I mean, Master Congar, not me! Blood and ashes, I-"

"Watch your tongue, Matrim!"

Ranma turned towards Akane and mouthed the words. "Blood and ashes?" His fiancée shrugged in response. And then the Wisdom turned on them. "And you two! I don't want you whispering behind my- oh, wait. Who are you two? You two aren't from here."

Ranma smirked. "I'm Ranma, and this is Akane. Rand's father found us in that forest over there," he pointed in the direction of Westwood, "and then he brought us here. Master al'Vere said we could look at some maps to get our bearings." Ranma paused. "You sure you're the Wisdom lady they were speaking about? Somehow I expected someone... older... But then, I guess I can see why that Moiraine chick called you child. You don't look too much older than Rand here, while she..."

Nynaeve grew redder with each word that Ranma spoke. She suddenly had the urge to introduce the pigtailed lad to the business end of her stick, thick on one end and thin like a switch on the other. One could only wonder which end she wanted to use on Ranma, but it was too late. Akane had beaten her to it. The black haired girl stood up and in one fluid motion, hit Ranma with a mallet caused Ranma to collapse to the ground. Akane turned towards Nynaeve. "I'm sorry about that, Wisdom, but sometimes this baka-" she punctuated the word with a kick to Ranma's ribs, "speaks without thinking."

Nynaeve nodded. "I see. You sure know how to keep a woolheaded man in line. Anyways, why aren't you inside looking at the maps? I'm sure Bran would have been swift in getting them."

"Well he would have been, but Master al'Thor asked us to help unload the cider, and then that business with the peddler..." Akane slowly trailed off.

Nynaeve blinked. "What business with the peddler? Does this have anything to do with why you all were talking about something even these three bull calves should have had the sense to keep out of their mouths?"

Akane nodded, and the Wisdom turned to Rand, who was staring at the other girl. (Meanwhile Ranma had climbed to his feet as if nothing had happened.) "If you are done staring like a moonstruck lamb, would you care to tell me what the peddler spoke of?" Nynaeve's face seemed to have the beginnings of a smile forming on it, but when Mat began to laugh, it quickly turned to a scowl directed at the offending boy.

Rand nervously started to speak. "The peddler-Padan Fain... all... Master Fain-brought news of a false Dragon in Ghealdan, and a war, and Aes Sedai. The Council thought it was important enough to talk to him."

The Wisdom shook her head. "So that's why the peddler's wagon stands abandoned. I heard people rushing to meet it, but I couldn't leave Mistress Ayellin till her fever broke. The Council is questioning the peddler about what's happening in Ghealdan, are they? If I know them, they're asking all the wrong questions and none of the right ones. It will take the Women's Circle to find out anything useful." Gathering her cloak around her, she turned towards Ranma and Akane once more. "I will need to speak with you more, later. I am interested as to how you ended up in Westwood." Nynaeve then turned around and strode towards the inn, and promptly disappeared within it.

Ranma watched the Wisdom enter the inn, and then turned back to the group. Rand was now speaking to the girl. He prepared to eavesdrop on them, sneaking up to stand next to them... Getting ever closer... until... "ERK!" Akane had grabbed onto his pigtail and dragged him to where Mat and Perrin were talking.

"-and then we were told about the gleeman by Rand's da."

"A gleeman!?" Perrin exclaimed a little loudly, before sheepishly noticing the new arrivals. Then in a quieter tone, he asked, "Are you sure there's a gleeman?"

"As sure as I am that I have two hands." Mat said with a grin. "Isn't there a gleeman, Ranma, Akane?"

Both martial artists nodded vigorously in agreement. "But we still haven't seen him yet. Did you tell him about the black cloaked rider, Mat?" Ranma asked, and the blacksmith apprentice's face paled.

"Black cloaked rider? I think I may have seen one like that. He gave me the chills."

"You too, huh? Rand and Mat saw him as well. Something wasn't right about that man." Ranma paused before pulling out the coin that Moiraine had given him. He tossed it in the air before catching it in his hand. "Then there was that Moiraine chick, and her... friend... Lan."

Perrin nodded. "Aye, I've met them both. Mistress Moiraine gave me a coin like yours."

Akane nodded. "Maybe there's a connection between Moiraine and the rider. I bet there probably is."

Mat shrugged, as did Ranma and Perrin. "Maybe. Blood and ashes, I hope not." Mat glanced over at Rand and the other girl. "Looks like Rand might need some rescuing from Egwene. I think I'll go over and tell him the news. Perrin, want to come with me?"

The broad-shouldered lad shrugged and followed his friend. Ranma and Akane weren't too far behind them.

"Moiraine gave Perrin a coin, too," Mat said. "Just like ours." He paused before adding, "And he saw the rider."

"Where?" Rand inquired. "When? Did anybody else see him? Did you tell anyone?"

Perrin raised his hands in an attempt to slow things down. "One question at a time. I saw him on the edge of the village, watching the smithy, just at twilight Yesterday. Gave me the shivers, he did. I told Master Luhhan, only nobody was there when he looked. He said I was seeing shadows. But he carried his biggest hammer around with him while we were banking the forge-fire and putting the tools up. He's never done that before."

"So he believed you," Rand said, but Perrin shrugged in response

.

"I don't know. I asked him why he was carrying the hammer if all I saw was shadows, and he said something about wolves getting bold enough to come into the village. Maybe he thought that's what I saw, but he ought to know I can tell the difference between a wolf and a man on horseback, even at dusk. I know what I saw, and nobody is going to make me believe different."

"I believe you," Rand said. "Remember, I saw him, too." Perrin gave a contented grunt, he had not been sure of the fact that Rand had affirmed.

"What _are you _talking about?" Egwene suddenly burst out.

Ranma put his head in his hands and shook it. Rand should have been quieter. Mat and Perrin were grinning widely, and quickly told Egwene of their encounters with the black rider. Ranma knew what was likely to happen in this situation, and a glance at Akane told him that she was sure too. Of course her mumbling "bakas" clued him in to her thoughts as well.

"Nynaeve was right," Egwene proclaimed to the sky when both Mat and Perrin fell silent. "None of you is ready to be off leading strings. People do ride horses, you know. That doesn't make them monsters out of a gleeman's tale." Ranma nodded to himself, and noticed that Rand was doing the same. She rounded on the shepherd. "And you've been spreading these tales. Sometimes you have no sense, Rand al'Thor. The winter has been frightening enough without you going about scaring the children."

Rand gave an unpleasant scowl. "I haven't spread anything, Egwene. But I saw what I saw, and it was no farmer out looking for a strayed cow."

Egwene drew in a deep breath, and she opened her mouth. Ranma noted that all the warning signs for a girl about to blow her top were there. However, whatever she was going to say was cut off as the door to the inn opened and a shaggy haired man hurried out as if the hounds of Hell were after him.

The door slammed shut behind the white-haired man, and he quickly turned to glare at it. Slender, he was taller than Ranma, save for the stoop of his shoulders, and he moved in such a fashion that made Ranma wonder if the man knew martial arts. His cloak was indeed a heap of patches, in every shape and size, of too many colors to count. It was thicker than Master al'Vere had made it out to be, and the patches seemed to be sewed on as decoration more than anything else.

"The gleeman!" Egwene whispered to the group, obviously excited.

The older man whirled around, his cloak flaring out. His coat had baggy sleeves and obviously big pockets. Thick moustaches, as white as the hair on his head, twitched around his mouth, and his face was wrinkled, but not quite as much as Happosai or Cologne, possibly placing the man in the Regular Old category. He gestured with his pipe at Ranma and the others, and the man's blue eyes peered out from his bushy brows.

"What sort of place is this?" the gleeman inquired in a voice that seemed too thunderous for a man of his size. Even in the open air outside the inn, it seemed almost to fill a room and resound off of the walls. "The yokels in that village on the hill tell me I can get here before dark, neglecting to say that that was only if I left well before noon. When I finally do arrive, chilled to the bone and ready for a warm bed, your innkeeper grumbles about the hour as if I were a wandering swineherd and your Village Council hadn't begged me to display my art at this festival of yours. And he never even told me he was the Mayor." He paused for a breath and took the time to give all of them a glare. "When I came downstairs to smoke my pipe before the fire and have a mug of ale, every man in the common room stares at me as if I were his least favorite brother-in-law seeking to borrow money. One old grandfather starts ranting at me about the kind of stories I should or should not tell, then a girl-child shouts at me to get out, and threatens me with a great club when I don't move quickly enough for her. Who ever heard of treating a gleeman so?"

Ranma glanced over at the girls. Egwene's face seemed torn between awe and anger, and Akane's was unreadable. At least until she glanced over in his direction which is when he turned his attention back to the gleeman.

"Your pardon, Master Gleeman," Rand said. Ranma took a look at the shepherd's foolish grin, and soon Ranma was grinning himself. "That was our Wisdom, and-"

"That pretty little slip of a girl?" the gleeman cried. "A village Wisdom? Why, at her age she should better be flirting with the young men than foretelling the weather and curing the sick."

Ranma snickered softly at that statement. Nynaeve was a bit young. Though with her temper, perhaps it was best she not hear what this man's opinion of her was until after he performed. If at all. Ranma continued snickering, but was interrupted by Akane jabbing him between the ribs apparently lightly. The pigtailed boy scowled at his fiancée who merely stuck out her tongue in response.

"The men were the Village Council," Rand continued. "I'm sure they intended no discourtesy. You see, we just learned there's a war in Ghealdan, and a man claiming to be the Dragon Reborn. A false Dragon. Aes Sedai are riding there from Tar Valon. The Council is trying to decide if we might be in danger here."

"Old news, even in Baerlon," the gleeman said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "and that is the last place in the world to hear anything." Stopping, he looked around the village and added, "Almost the last place." And then his eyes were drawn to the empty wagon that sat in front of the inn with its shafts out. "So. I thought I recognized Padan Fain in there." His voice, while remaining deep, took on a tone of contempt. "Fain was always one to carry bad news quickly, and the worse, the faster. There's more raven in him than man."

"Master Fain has come often to Emond's Field, Master Gleeman," Egwene said with a hint of disapproval breaking through her delight. "He is always full of laughter, and he brings much more good news than bad."

The gleeman eyed her a moment, and then looked over at Akane as well. "Now you two are lovely lasses. You should have rose buds in your hair. Unfortunately, I cannot pull roses from the air, not this year, but how would you two like to stand beside me tomorrow for a part of my performance? Hand me my flute when I want it, and certain other apparatus. I always choose the prettiest girl I can find as my assistant. Unfortunately it's a little hard to choose between the two of you."

Akane blushed at that moment. "Oh, I shouldn't be involved; I'm not even from this village."

Ranma's lips twitched. He wanted to comment on this, but thought against it for once. He wanted to appear as normal as possible in front of this gleeman and in front of Egwene. Ranma would have commented on it, but Saffron opened his eyes to a few things. Akane almost died, and he didn't want that to happen again. Ranma decided to reign in his tongue at least for the sake of appearing normal; not being hit was also a plus.

"Thank you, Master Gleeman. I would be happy to assist you." Egwene spoke in a too calm voice, ignoring the snickering of Perrin and the laughter of Mat.

"Thom Merrilin," the gleeman said. They all stared at him. "My name is Thom Merrilin, not Master Gleeman." He pulled his parti-colored cloak up and raised his voice up once more, sounding as if it were reverberating in a great hall. "Once a Court bard, I am now indeed risen to the exalted rank of Master Gleeman, yet my name is plain Thom Merrilin, and gleeman is the simple title in which I glory." And he performed a bow that was so extravagant that it drew a clap from Mat and an appreciative murmur from the girls.

"Master... ah... Master Merrilin," Mat said, obviously confused about which form of address to use for the gleeman, "what is happening in Ghealdan? Do you know anything about this false Dragon? Or the Aes Sedai?"

"Do I look like a peddler, boy?" the gleeman groused, tapping the pipe in his hand on the heel of his palm. Suddenly, the man made his pipe disappear somewhere inside his cloak or inside his coat. Even Ranma could not tell where it had gone or how, and thus he was impressed a bit. The man was good with sleight of hand. "I am a gleeman, not a newsmonger. And I make a point of never knowing anything about Aes Sedai. Much safer that way."

"But the war," Mat started, but was quickly cut off by Master Merrilin.

"In wars, boy, fools kill other fools for foolish causes. That's enough for anyone to know. I am here for my art." All of the sudden, he pointed a finger at Rand. "You, lad. You're a tall-one. Not with your full growth on you yet, but I doubt there's another man in the district with your height. Not many in the village with eyes that color, either, I'll wager. The point is, you're an axe handle across the shoulders and as tall as an Aielman. What's your name, lad?"

Rand stated his name hesitantly, and Ranma was a bit confused. What in Kami-sama's name was an Aielman? Then the gleeman's attention shifted to him and Akane. "And you two. I've traveled far, and I've not seen many who look as you do. You resemble the Sea Folk in a way; them, and the Sharan. What's your name, lad? And yours as well, lass?"

"I'm Ranma Saotome," the pigtailed boy grinned, "and the uncute tomboy over there is Akane Tendo. Nice to meet you, Master Merrilin."

"So what if I'm uncute?" Akane drawled out, smiling. She was obviously enjoying the playful banter this time. After all, Ranma said it in a nicer tone. She opened her mouth to retort before the gleeman started speaking again, his attention now on Perrin.

"And you have almost the size of an Ogier. Close enough. How are you called?"

"Not unless I stand on my own shoulders." Perrin laughed. "I'm afraid Rand and I are just ordinary folk, Master Merrilin, not made-up creatures from your stories. I doubt Ranma and Akane are what you claim as well. I'm Perrin Aybara."

Merrilin tugged at the end of one of the mustaches on his face. "Well, now. Made-up creatures from my stories, is that what they are? You lads are widely traveled, then, it seems."

Ranma snorted at that. It wasn't likely the boys there had been far out of their village. Ranma himself had been far, but not in this time; not in this world. Perrin spoke up.

"We, that is Rand, Mat, and I, have been as far as Watch Hill, and Deven Ride. Not many around here have gone as far." It didn't sound as if he were boasting, but rather just simply stating facts.

"We've all seen the Mire, too," Mat added in his two cents, and he did sound boastful. "That's the swamp at the far end of the Waterwood. Nobody at all goes there, it's full of quicksands and bogs, except us. And nobody goes to the Mountains of Mist, either, but we did, once. To the foot of them, anyway."

"As far as that?" the gleeman mumbled while continually brushing his moustaches. Ranma could have sworn the man was hiding a smile, and he saw that Perrin was frowning.

"It's bad luck to enter the mountains," Mat said, evidently he thought he had to defend himself for not going further. "Everybody knows that."

"That's just foolishness, Matrim Cauthon," Egwene spoke up in anger. "Nynaeve says..." She stopped speaking, her cheeks turning pink, and the look she gave Thom Merrilin afterwards was not quite as friendly as it had been before. "It is not right to make... It isn't..." Her face turned even redder. Ranma was confused. What was going on with the girl?

"You're right, child," the gleeman said remorsefully. "I apologize humbly. I am here to entertain. Aah, my tongue has always gotten me into trouble."

"Maybe we haven't traveled as far as you," Perrin said, sarcasm dripping into his voice, "but what does how tall Rand is have to do with anything?"

"Just this, lad. A little later I will let you try to pick me up, but you won't be able to lift my feet from the ground. Not you, nor your tall friend there - Rand, is it? - nor any other man. Now what do you think of that?"

Ranma snorted. He knew what the man planned. His father taught him that one when he was much younger. There was a position that one could stand in and not be able to be lifted by the strongest of men. An excellent parlor trick, but it didn't do well for a martial arts move. At least not against the more capable martial artists.

Perrin snorted out a laugh. "I think I can lift you right now." However, the gleeman motioned him back when he stepped forward.

"Later, lad, later. When there are more folk to watch. An artist needs an audience."

A large amount of people had gathered on the Green from the time when the gleeman had exited the inn. Young men and women, they were, and there were children who peeked out from behind the older ones. All of the group looked as if they were expecting something from the gleeman; perhaps they wanted something miraculous. Merrilin looked over the group (apparently he was counting them), and then he shook his head slightly and let out a sigh.

"I suppose I had better give you a small sample. So you can run tell the others. Eh? Just a taste of what you'll see tomorrow at your festival."

The gleeman took a step backwards, and then suddenly leapt into a back-flip and landed on the old stone fountain, facing the gathering. Actually, he did even more than that: three balls, red, white and black, began to move between his hands, almost appearing like dancing.

Ranma let out a whistle, the man's showmanship was excellent. He never would have expected the man to be that spry. He grinned over at Akane, who grinned widely herself.

'_Maybe she is cute after all...'_

"You want stories?" Thom Merrilin orated. "I have stories, and I will give them to you. I will make them come alive before your eyes." A blue ball soon came out and joined the others, along with a green one and a yellow one as well. "Tales of great wars and great heroes, for the men and boys. For the women and girls, the entire _Aptarigine Cycle. _Tales of Artur Paendrag Tanreall, Artur Hawkwing, Artur the High King, who once ruled all the lands from the Aiel Waste to the Aryth Ocean, and even beyond. Wondrous stories of strange people and strange lands, of the Green Man, of Warders and Trollocs, of Ogier and Aiel. _The Thousand Tales of Anla, the WiseCounselor. _'Jaem the GiantSlayer.' How _Susa Tamed Jain Farstrider. _'Mara and the Three Foolish Kings.'"

"Tell us about Lenn," Egwene called. "How he flew to the moon in the belly of an eagle made of fire. Tell about his daughter Salya walking among the stars. Tell us of Roan and his fight against the bird of fire."

"Old stories, those," Thom Merrilin said, and he curtly was juggling three balls in each hand. "Stories from the Age before the Age of Legends, some say. Perhaps even older. But I have _all _stories, mind you now, of Ages that were and will be. Ages when men ruled the heavens and the stars, and Ages when man roamed as brother to the animals. Ages of wonder, and Ages of horror. Ages ended by fire raining from the skies, and Ages doomed by snow and ice covering land and sea. I have all stories, and I will tell all stories. Tales of Mosk the Giant, with his Lance of Fire that could reach around the world, and his wars with Alsbet, the Queen of All. Tales of Materese the Healer, Mother of the Wondrous Ind."

Soon he was juggling the balls in what was apparently two intertwining circles. Ranma smirked, the man indeed was good. "I will tell you of the end of the Age of Legends, of the Dragon, and his attempt to free the Dark One into the world of men. I will tell of the Time of Madness, when Aes Sedai shattered the world; of the Trolloc Wars, when men battled Trollocs for rule of the earth; of the War of the Hundred Years, when men battled men and the nations of our day were wrought. I will tell the adventures of men and women, rich and poor, great and small, proud and humble. _The Siege of the Pillars of the Sky. _'How Goodwife Karil Cured Her Husband of Snoring.' _King Darith and the Fall of the House _of-"

Abruptly, talking and juggling alike both stopped. Thom simply snatched the balls out of the air and stopped speaking. Ranma felt a familiar yet not so familiar tugging on his senses which announced the arrival of Moiraine and Lan. Looking over, he saw that they indeed were standing in the crowd, and that the gleeman had noticed them. For a moment Merrilin looked at Moiraine a little sideways, not moving save for slipping the balls back where they came from. Then he pulled an extravagant bow to her, spreading his cloak as he did so. "Your pardon, but you are surely not from this district?"

"Lady!" Ewin hissed out sternly. "The Lady Moiraine."

The gleeman blinked, and then he bowed once more, even deeper than his previous one. "Your pardon again . . . ah, Lady. I meant no disrespect."

Moiraine made a gesture that seemed to say that it doesn't matter. "None was perceived, Master Bard. And my name is simply Moiraine. I am indeed a stranger here, a traveler like yourself, far from home and alone. The world can be a dangerous place when one is a stranger."

"The Lady Moiraine collects stories," Ewin put in. "Stories about things that happened in the Two Rivers. Though I don't know what ever happened here to make a story of."

Ranma shook his head, but decided to stay silent. This was not something he wanted to get involved in. Even he could sense the tension that was between Thom and Moiraine. A glance at Lan told him what he was suspecting, the man's hand was on his sword, almost casually there, but there nonetheless.

"I trust you will like my stories, as well... Moiraine." Thom watched the woman cautiously; the tension Ranma sensed becoming ever more obvious.

"That is a matter of taste, Master Bard," Moiraine responded. "Some stories I like, and some I do not."

The gleeman gave a bow that was far deeper than any of the ones before "I assure you, none of my stories will displease. All will please and entertain. And you do me too much honor. I am a simple gleeman; that and nothing more."

Moiraine's answer to the bow was a courteous nod. Then she turned and Lan followed her, a tiger slinking after a graceful swan.

Merrilin stared at them as they left, his bushy eyebrows tensed and down, rubbing his long moustaches with a knuckle, and this continued until they were halfway up the Green.

"Are you going to juggle some more, now?" Ewin insisted.

"Eat fire," Mat cried. "I want to see you eat fire!"

"The harp!" a voice let out from within the crowd. "Play the harp!" Someone else called for him to play the flute.

At that very moment, the door to the inn opened and the Village Council traipsed out with Nynaeve in tow. Ranma noticed that the peddler was not with them. Perhaps he stayed inside where there was a warm fire. _'Maybe I should go in there soon. It is pretty cold out here, and I don't want to take any chances with water,'_ Ranma thought.

Mumbling something that sounded like "a strong brandy" Thom Merrilin jumped down off of the old fountain. Ignoring the protests from the crowd, he pushed through the men on the Council to get inside the inn.

"Is he supposed to be a gleeman or a king?" Cenn Buie asked in a tone of irritation. "A waste of good money, if you ask me."

Bran al'Vere almost turned after the gleeman as he passed before shaking his head. "That man may be more trouble than he's worth."

Nynaeve sniffed loudly as she gathered her cloak around her. "Worry about the gleeman if you want, Brandelwyn al'Vere. At least he is in Emond's Field, which is more than you can say for this false Dragon. But as long as you are worrying, there are others here who _should _excite your worry."

"If you please, Wisdom," Bran said laboriously, "kindly leave who should worry me to my deciding. Mistress Moiraine and Master Lan are guests in my inn, and decent, respectable folk, so I say. Neither of _them _has called me a fool in front of the whole Council. Neither of _them _has told the Council it hasn't a full set of wits among them."

"It seems my estimate was too high by half," Nynaeve snapped. She then strode quickly away without looking back, leaving the Mayor trying to figure out a reply. Egwene shortly followed her.

"That young woman wants a husband," Cenn Buie barked out, bouncing on his toes. His face was already a nice shade of purple, and getting darker. "She lacks proper respect. We're the Village Council, not boys raking her yard, and-"

Bran breathed heavily through his nose before rounding to face the thatcher. "Be quiet, Cenn! Stop acting like a black-veiled Aiel!" The skinny man quite literally froze in place. Ranma guessed that this was an unusual occurrence. Bran glared at the thatcher. "Burn me, but we have better things to be about than this foolishness. Or do you intend to prove Nynaeve right?"

With that statement, he turned toward the inn and strode into it, the door slamming shut behind him. All of the remaining Council Members glanced at Cenn before going their separate ways. One remained with the thatcher, the blacksmith, Ranma guessed. The man had arms as thick as Perrin's.

Noting that Rand was going off, Ranma nodded to Akane and the two of them trailed the tall youth.

"-seen Master al'Vere so mad," Rand said as the two martial artists walked up behind him.

"The Mayor and the Wisdom seldom agree," Tam said, "and they agreed less than usual today. That's all. It's the same in every village."

"What about the false Dragon?" Mat questioned while Perrin added in an eager murmur. "What about the Aes Sedai?"

Tam shook his head. "Master Fain knew little more than he had already told. At least, little of interest to us. Battles won or lost. Cities taken and retaken. All in Ghealdan, thank the Light. It hasn't spread, or had not the last Master Fain knew."

"Battles interest me," Mat said, and Perrin put in, "What did he say about them?"

"Battles don't interest me, Matrim," Tam said. "But I'm sure he will be glad to tell you all about them later. What does interest me is that we shouldn't have to worry about them here, as far as the Council can tell. We can see no reason for Aes Sedai to come here on their way south. And as for the return journey, they aren't likely to want to cross the Forest of Shadows and swim the White River. Which reminds me...how did you two get here?" Tam glanced over at Ranma and Akane.

Ranma shrugged. "I don't know, Akane and I just woke up in those woods. We weren't there before."

"Where were you before, lad?"

Ranma blanched. He didn't really want to say that he was fighting a god to save Akane's life. No need to trouble these nice, normal people with the problems of his life. Maybe he should be partially honest tho-

"We were in China, Master al'Thor." Akane supplied. Ranma glanced over at his fiancée and nodded.

"Right then, lass. Well, perhaps you can figure out where you're going to go next with what Master al'Vere has for you." Tam smiled at the girl as she nodded.

"So that's an end to it for us," Mat said. He did sound like he was a little bit disappointed.

"Not quite," Tam said. "Day after tomorrow we will send men to Deven Ride and Watch Hill, and Taren Ferry, too, to arrange for a watch to be kept. Riders along the White and the Taren, both, and patrols between. It should be done today, but only the Mayor agrees with me. The rest can't see asking anyone to spend Bel Tine off riding across the Two Rivers."

"But I thought you said we didn't have to worry," Perrin stated, and Tam simply shook his head.

"I said should not, boy, not did not. I've seen men die because they were sure that what should not happen, would not. Besides, the fighting will stir up all sorts of people. Most will just be trying to find safety, but others will be looking for a way to profit from the confusion. We'll offer any of the first a helping hand, but we must be ready to send the second type on their way."

Suddenly Mat spoke up. "Can we be part of it? I want to, anyway. You know I can ride as

well as anyone in the village."

"You want a few weeks of cold, boredom, and sleeping rough?" Tam chortled. "Likely that's all there will be to it. I hope that's all. We're well out of the way even for refugees. But you can speak to Master al'Vere if your mind is made up. Rand, it's time for us to be getting back to the farm."

Rand blinked. "I thought we were staying for Winternight."

"Things need seeing to at the farm, and I need you with me."

"Even so, we don't have to leave for hours yet. And I want to volunteer for the patrols, too."

"We are going now," his father responded in a tone that would allow no argument. In a softer voice he added, "We'll be back tomorrow in plenty of time for you to speak to the Mayor. And plenty of time for Festival, too. Five minutes, now, then meet me in the stable." Before turning around to walk, Tam turned towards Ranma and Akane. "Bran said that the two of you could stay in the inn for a couple nights until you get yourselves decided. Provided you help with chores of course."

Ranma nodded. Just like when he was with his father and they wanted to stay in an inn. He didn't have any money then either. He watched as the older man walked off.

"Are you going to join Rand and me on the watch?" Mat turned to Perrin as Tam left. "I'll bet there's nothing like this ever happened in the Two Rivers before. Why, if we get up to the Taren, we might even see soldiers, or who knows what. Even Tinkers."

"I expect I will," Perrin slowly said, "if Master Luhhan doesn't need me, that is."

"The war is in Ghealdan," Rand barked out. Obviously with an effort needed, he lowered his voice. "The war is in Ghealdan, and the Aes Sedai are the Light knows where, but none of it is here. The man in the black cloak is, or have you forgotten him already?" The other two older boys exchanged looks of embarrassment.

"Sorry, Rand," Mat mumbled. "But a chance to do something besides milk my da's cows doesn't come along very often." Ranma gave the boy a sidelong look as he straightened out. "Well, I do milk them, and every day, too."

"Riiight..." Ranma said with a grin.

"I do! You can even ask my da yourself, Ranma." Mat had an indignant look on his face.

"The black rider," Rand prompted them. "What if he hurts somebody?"

"Maybe he's a refugee from the war," Perrin said uncertainly.

"Right, a refugee. Probably another prince or something here to kidnap the Tomboy." Ranma glanced over at Akane.

"Or another challenger for you, eh Ranma?" Akane arched her eyebrow.

"Maybe, I can take him anyways." Ranma puffed out his chest.

Perrin, Mat and Rand stared at the two of them as if the martial artists were bloody Shadowspawn. "Another prince?" Rand echoed at the same time Perrin asked, "Challenger?"

The young couple turned red as they realized there was an audience that didn't know them that well. "Eh heh..." Ranma scratched the base of his pigtail nervously. "What I meant was..." Akane interrupted him. "It's more of an inside joke between us. Certain things happen around us and we deal with it. Don't worry too much about it."

A mutter of "you mean I deal with it" from Ranma could be heard, and Akane elbowed the pigtailed boy in the gut. "Shut up, baka." She hissed out. "Anyways, we'll help with the black rider if he's a problem."

Ranma nodded in agreement.

"Whatever he is," Mat said, "the watch will find him."

"Maybe," Rand said, "but he seems to disappear when he wants to. It might be better if they knew to look for him."

"We'll tell Master al'Vere when we volunteer for the patrols," Mat said, "he'll tell the Council, and they'll tell the watch."

"The Council!" Perrin said skeptically. "We'd be lucky if the Mayor didn't laugh out loud. Master Luhhan and Rand's father already think the two of us are jumping at shadows."

Rand sighed. "If we're going to do it, we might as well do it now. He won't laugh any louder today than he will tomorrow."

"Maybe," Perrin said with a glance at Mat, "we should try finding some others who've seen him. We'll see just about everybody in the village tonight." Mat's glower deepened, but he didn't say anything. Ranma didn't know what was going on here. "He won't laugh any louder tomorrow," Perrin added when Rand halted. "And I'd just as soon have somebody else with us when we go to him. Half the village would suit me fine."

"You know we saw him too." Ranma said, and Perrin nodded.

"I'd still like to have a bit more witnesses. Master al'Vere might be more likely to believe us if we have more.

Rand nodded slowly. "Tomorrow, then. You two find whoever you can tonight, and tomorrow we go to the Mayor. After that..." They all looked at him silently. Ranma wondered what they would do if no one else saw the rider, but evidently there was no answer. "I'd better go, now. My father will be wondering if I fell into a hole."

Rand headed off in the direction of the stables, and Mat suddenly stood up straighter. "I'd best get back to my da. He might be wondering where I am. I'm sure I'll see you all later. It was nice to meet the two of you, Ranma and Akane."

Mat walked off towards Wagon Bridge, presumably to go to his farm. Ranma shivered. "You two should go inside the inn and get some warmer clothing on. Don't tell Master al'Vere about the rider yet. I'm sure I'll be able to find some more witnesses." Perrin said, "And I'm sure the two of you will like staying here." He smiled and gave Ranma a firm handshake with his strong arms and then walked off.

Ranma looked at his fiancée. For once, there were no more rivals, no more other girls, but something still seemed off. His curse had not activated at all today, and the only weird thing that had happened was the waking up in the forest and then coming to this village that was straight out of the history books. Walking up to fiancée, he felt he should say something, anything to comfort her. "Let's go inside, Akane. It's warmer in there."

Akane glanced at the pigtailed boy, and he wished that he could read her thoughts. Her face may not have been a mask of anger, now, but he knew it could easily switch to that. She smiled, and suddenly a feeling surged up in Ranma, one he couldn't describe. "Let's, Ranma."

The two opened the door to the inn and walked through it. As Ranma went in, he peeked out over his head. This Emond's Field wasn't Nerima, but it suddenly felt a lot more like home, and he wouldn't let any harm come to it; he would defeat any challenger that came along the way.

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Outside Emond's Field, the black rider removed his hood and glanced over his troops. They had their orders. They would do what must be done.

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(End Chapter)

Author's Notes: Well, I finished Chapter Two, and likely before this is released to the public, I will have Chapter Three done. To anyone who has read Eye of the World, it should be obvious what is going to happen in the next chapter. To those who haven't, well, you should read it; it's a good book. Anyways, Ranma and Akane are _not_ going to get together in this book of 1/2 an Age. That's not to say they won't eventually, but no serious romance is going to develop between them yet. They still have a lot of growing up to do. The glossary for this chapter is below. (You'll notice that it's smaller than last chapter's. There will be a big glossary at the end.)

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**Glossary**

Notes on Dates: The Toman Calendar (devised by Toma dur Ahmid) was adopted approximately two centuries after the death of the last male Aes Sedai, recording years After the Breaking of the World (AB). So many records were destroyed in the Trolloc Wars that at their end there was argument about the exact year under the old system. A new calendar, proposed by Tiam of Gazar, celebrated freedom from the Trolloc threat and recorded each year as a Free Year (FY). The Gazaran Calendar gained wide acceptance within twenty years after the Wars' end. Artur Hawkwing attempted to establish a new calendar based on the founding of his empire (FF, From the Founding), but only historians now refer to it. After the death and destruction of the War of the Hundred Years, a third calendar was devised by Uren din Jubai Soaring Gull, a scholar of the Sea Folk, and promulgated by the Panarch Farede of Tarabon. The Farede Calendar, dating from the arbitrarily decided end of the War of the Hundred Years and recording years of the New Era (NE), is currently in use. Records from before the Breaking are few and far between, and they seem to number their years ATI. Records have been found dated with AD as well. What the two stand for, Historians can only guess.

**al'Vere, Egwene: **Daughter of the innkeeper. Evidently there is something between her and Rand al'Thor

**Fain, Padan: **A peddler who brings news of war in Ghealdan.

**Ghealdan: **A country near the Two Rivers currently at war.

**Merrilin, Thom: **A gleeman who has come to Emond's Field. There is more to this man than there seems.


	5. Chapter 3: Winternight

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1/2 an Age Book One: The Wild Horse Cometh

Chapter Three: Winternight

By Ellf

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Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and publishing rights to it are held by Viz and Kitty Films in the United States, and Shokakugan Entertainment in Japan. Wheel of Time is the property of Robert Jordan's estate, and publishing rights are held by Tor Books in the United States.

A warm fire blazed inside the common room of the Winesprig Inn. Ranma noticed a distinct difference in the temperature as he and Akane walked inside. Looking around the common room, he saw several people gathered around the fire. There was the gleeman, Thom Merrilin, drinking what could only be warm ale, looking quite comfy as he brought the cup to his moustache-topped lips. Over in the corner was the sinewy-looking peddler, Padan Fain, puffing on a pipe and gathering his cloak about his body. The innkeeper sat in a chair directly in front of the fire, staring into the flames as they danced about the fireplace. Bran looked away from the fireplace as he heard the two young martial artists step in. Upon noticing Ranma and Akane, he stood from his chair and walked over to them.

"Ranma, Akane, with all the excitement about Fain's news, I almost forgot about you."

The two young martial artists smiled at the man, and Ranma spoke up. "It ain't a big deal al'Vere-san; I'm kinda used to things like that."

"Well then, let's get you two some rooms now. Don't worry about paying, what you did with the brandy can cover your stay for tonight. I'm sure we'll find something for you to do tomorrow." Bran led the teens up the stairs and into a hallway that had a few doors. The doors weren't ornate or elaborate, but they did have locks on them. "I don't suppose the two of you would like to share a room, am I correct?" Upon seeing the blushes forming on Ranma and Akane's faces at the suggestion, the Mayor smiled. "Relax, you two, I was joking. You can have these two rooms; the inn is usually quiet this time of year."

Ranma and Akane smiled and thanked Bran. His face lit up, and the elder man turned to grab the keys.

"I don't think you two would like to go into your rooms just yet; after all, it still is a few hours until night. Why don't you go into the common room and I'll bring you your maps." Not even waiting for their answer, he led them downstairs once more.

Ranma locked eyes with Lan as soon as he entered the common room. The older man seemed to be studying him warily, but his stone-faced expression gave nothing away. The pigtailed boy wished that he could know exactly how good the man was, with or without his sword.

The two teenagers chose an empty table that placed them close to the fire and the gleeman as well. Bran quickly came out with the maps that he had of the area, and promised he would help them just as soon as he had gotten done what he had to.

Ranma opened up one of the maps and glanced at it. Then he looked harder. Obviously it wasn't written in Japanese, but he was able to read it just the same. He was easily able to find where Emond's Field was, but that and Ghealdan were the only two names he recognized on the map. The continent shown on the map vaguely resembled Europe which was the feel he got from the buildings outside anyways. He and Genma had stumbled on a "Renaissance Fair" or something like it during their travels. The young martial artist never felt as full as on that day. Anyways, judging by the map, they were nowhere near anything that they could recognize.

"Ranma, what are these places? Where are the countries and cities that we know?"

"Chalk one up to my time travel theory. These 'Aes Sedai' broke the world, so why would we recognize anything on this map? Future, Akane, future." Ranma glanced at the map once more; there was Tar Valon, through some country named Andor. Feeling a gaze or three upon him, Ranma looked up from the maps and locked eyes with the gleeman. Thom seemed to take that as an invitation to come over to their table. Moiraine and Lan also walked over to the table.

"You two look to be confused, maybe I can help." Thom tugged on one side of his long white whiskers as he spoke. It made him look both silly and thoughtful at the same time.

Ranma glanced at the gleeman, and then at the other two. "We just can't seem to find anything we recognize on the map. Other than what was mentioned today, of course. Still, before today we haven't heard of any of these countries or cities."

"Well, where are the two of you from?"

Ranma locked eyes with Akane and then he spoke his answer. "Tokyo, Nihon is where we live and our families live."

Moiraine chose this time to speak up. "I do wonder how the two of you landed here, so far away from your home. Not that I have heard of your city, but neither of the two of you seem to be lying."

Akane nodded. "Well it's a bit of a long story. Ranma knows most of it, I was erm... indisposed some of the time."

Ranma launched into an explanation of what happened on their most recent trip to China, Akane giving her input when necessary. He did however leave out certain things purposely, such as Akane turning into that doll thing and Saffron being a Phoenix. He also left out some mentions of his major techniques, not wanting to describe them in detail. The explanation itself took about four hours, in which time, Mrs. al'Vere brought out some lunch for the five of them.

"... and then we woke up in the forest, finding some guy in a black hood and cape staring at us."

Lan's stony expression didn't change, but his eyes did. "Tell me about this person in the black hood."

"Ain't much to tell, the guy's hood covered his face, but you could feel him staring at you. Feel his hatred. Not to mention his cloak didn't billow in the wind."

"If it weren't for Ranma seeing him, I'd have thought he was a hallucination." Akane added.

"Why is that, child?" Moiraine asked.

"I looked away and he was gone when I looked back. Almost as if he disappeared into thin air..."

Moiraine and Lan locked eyes with each other. From the gleeman, a mutter came under his breath, "Fade. Has to be."

"Let's not be jumping to conclusions, Master Merrilin. These two may have just seen something else." Moiraine turned back to the two teens. "Now as for you, your story is a little odd for me, but even if none of it is true, you obviously are not from around here. There is a place that I know of where you might be able to find a way home."

Akane perked up. "Where, Moiraine-san?"

"The White Tower in Tar Valon would be a good place to look."

The gleeman snorted. "Only if you want to have Aes Sedai hooks in you, but I can't think of anywhere else that might help you as much as they might. However, if you two don't really need to go home, I could always use some traveling companions."

Ranma nodded. "We'll think about it, Merrilin-san."

"Please call me Thom. I'm not sure what that 'san' bit is about anyways."

"It's how we show respect back in our homeland." Akane quickly supplied.

"Ah, there must be some stories that you could tell me about it." Thom said. "Maybe if you travel with me, I can learn more about it."

Smiling, Ranma nodded. "Maybe, Thom. However, if I don't get the Tomboy back safely, her dad'll kill me."

Akane turned to the pigtailed youth. "Ranma! I'm a martial artist too! I can take care of myself!"

"No doubt about it, yer dad'll still kill me though."

Akane blinked, and she wanted so bad to argue with him too. Ah well, there'd be time for that later, when the present company wasn't around. It didn't look like they'd just ignore it.

Ranma smiled. He really didn't want to argue with the Tomboy right now, not with them in a nice place such as this Inn. It wouldn't do to get on Master al'Vere's bad side. Looking outside the window, Ranma realized that their story had taken up a few hours, and the sun itself was getting ready to set. It was then that he felt it; his danger sense started going crazy. He didn't know what was triggering it, but he knew something was about to come through the window, fast.

"Everybody get away from the window!" Ranma yelled out and the people in the common room stared at him, other than Lan and Moiraine. The former was already drawing his sword, and she was watching him with intent interest. Soon after Ranma had yelled his statement, a torch came crashing through the window, landing, oddly enough in a way that tripped Mistress al'Vere, causing her to spill the water she was carrying. Ranma dodged, and the water landed on the flaming torch, putting it out quickly.

"Come on Akane, let's see who threw that." Ranma glanced over at his fiancée as he swiftly ran out the door. The tomboyish girl immediately followed. Lan and Moiraine also stepped outside.

It was then that he saw _it_. Standing at just over six feet tall, this gruesome creature was a crime against nature. Its body was mostly humanoid, but it was covered in fur to match its head, that of a ram. In its right hand it was holding a curve-bladed sword, and in its left it was holding a torch. Glinting off the armor of the dark thing, the light from the torch let Ranma see that the creature was not alone. There couldn't have been less than forty there, but not more than seventy. Ranma didn't stop to count, all he knew was that this creature felt wrong and vile. It was then that the martial artist noticed what the creatures were doing; they were running up to random houses, and lighting them ablaze with their torches. Something inside Ranma snapped at that, and he leaped into action, aiming a left jab right at its jaw.

The punch connected with a sickening crunch, and Ranma watched the creature reel back in pain, but it rapidly recovered and began to return the attack. Out of the corner of his eye, Ranma noticed that Lan and Akane had joined the fray, Akane having pulled out her trusty mallet, and Lan was attacking with his sword. Only ten were attacking back, each with skill that was slightly less than Tatewaki Kuno's own. Ranma and Lan were engaging four each, and Akane had two on her.

Ducking a swing from one of the beasts, Ranma grabbed another and slammed it into the one on his left. This quickly knocked out the both of them. Then, using a quick Amaguriken to each of the remaining one's faces, he knocked out his remaining opponents. It was then that he noticed the lightning, coming down from the sky and striking any of the creatures that managed to get near the Inn. He also noticed that the beasts that Lan fought were bleeding, and two were without their heads. Lan was actually killing them.

Somehow he knew that Moiraine was the one responsible for the lightning. The golden aura surrounding her, and the yellow and blue threads coming from her were a definite indication of it. Either way, Ranma still had to attack... More were coming.

"Help! My Erindel is trapped inside the house!" A woman cried from down the street, standing near a burning house. Ranma fought his way through the Trollocs to get to the woman, his aura starting to blaze a brilliant blue.

The fire parted as Ranma moved through, his aura shoving the fire out of the way. He quickly ran through the blazing home and looked for the child. He needn't have looked far as the little boy, no more than four, was crying out for his mother. The ashy blonde child didn't look to be hurt, but rather frightened out of his mind. He seemed to draw some comfort when he looked at Ranma....

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Where was his mama? Mama had told him to go to bed, as there was the festival tomorrow, but somehow this fire started. A torch through the window came, and outside were monsters! Shadowspawn! They had to be! Mama always told him about how they would come for him if he didn't listen to her, and the Wisdom agreed. Now they had come! They had come to take him away and eat him!

What was that noise? The door! It burst open too! Were the Shadowspawn coming to get him? The Trollocs! No! He didn't want to be a Trolloc stew! What was that blue glowing thing?

"Ikuzo kouzo!" The blue glowing thing was a man... A man that was little younger than Master al'Thor. He didn't know what the man said, but it was in a comforting voice. Maybe the man was one of the Creator's angels? "Kuso... I mean come on kid."

Yes, that would explain the language. Erindel grabbed the man's hand and was pulled into his arms, and suddenly he felt the rush of the cold night air on his skin. There was his mama!

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Ranma burst out of the house, the flames trailing him. Smiling, he handed young Erindel to his mother.

"Thank you...." Then the woman gasped, and stared at Ranma. She shook herself out of it. "Thank you so much... I don't know what would have happened if... Thank you."

"Of course, it's a martial artist's duty to defeat evil and save babies and children and all that." Ranma explained, but then glanced back at the horde of beast creatures. "What the hell are these things?"

"They look like just out of legend... the monsters... Trollocs are what they are." The woman's voice quivered and then she ran back into hiding, taking her son with her.

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Unfortunately one of the Trollocs that Ranma had knocked out was starting to wake up. It climbed to its feet and sneered. Gripping its scimitar, it noticed a small child near it. That would make great food later tonight after they were done with torching this small town. The Aes Sedai worried it, but Myrddraal said not to worry... they were to get the three people and cause chaos. That one human would learn the folly of leaving him alive. Yes he would.

It raised its scimitar at the frozen human child, and began to slice down before screaming in pain. Where were its arms? It felt no sword, but its arms had fallen off! The Trolloc glanced around before coming in contact with the azure eyes of the human it had fought before.

"You're dead, bakemono. Dokuja Tanketsu Shou!" That was the last thing the Trolloc heard.

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Ranma didn't want to have to resort to the Yama-senken, but when he saw the child in danger, he instantly reacted. These creatures had no sort of ki training whatsoever, and thus were fatally vulnerable to the strikes of the Mountain of a thousand fists. Genma had taught him the techniques shortly after the fight with Ryuu Kumon. They had gone on a training trip to allow him to practice the deadly techniques in safety. Ranma thought back to what Genma had said at the end of the trip.

"_Boy... I'm proud of you. I don't say it often enough, but I am. You are indeed the man amongst men that I promised to make you into. The reason I taught you these techniques is not that you are to use them in a martial arts match... No, they are too powerful. I ask that you only use these techniques if you have no other choice... In the defense of your __life or the life of another. You may have to kill one day, but every martial artist knows this. Do your best, boy._"

Ranma smiled at the memory, but not before glancing back at the battling Lan and Akane. Akane looked like she was getting tired, the Trollocs seemed to pick up on this, and were starting to go after her with more vengeance. However, as he began to start off towards Akane, he soon was surrounded by twenty Trollocs. Not even bothering to announce it this time, he did the Kijin Gun-Dai Ran Bu, launching vacuum blade after vacuum blade into the crowd of Trollocs. Seeing that this wasn't fast enough, he drew his blade.

The Gekkaja sang as it was pulled from its scabbard. Ranma moved through the Trollocs like a lion fighting off hyenas. Each Trolloc cut by the blade of the Gekkaja slowly began to ice over, a few getting frozen completely and falling to the ground in shattered pieces of ice and flesh. All Ranma cared about doing was getting to Akane, and he didn't care what got in his way. Soon he was back to back with Akane, his sword drawn and in an Anything Goes weapon stance.

"Akane, are you alright?" Ranma parried another Trolloc, cutting it across the belly.

"I'm fine, Ranma, you don't need to worry about-eek!" Akane ducked and glowered at the Trolloc that just swung at her. "Bakemono no baka!" She uppercut the Trolloc into low earth orbit, or at least high enough so that it couldn't be seen anymore.

"Nice distance on that one... Been working out again?" Overall the Trollocs weren't any tougher than fighting Kuno every morning, it's just that there were so many of them, and they _were_ trying to kill him. Once Ranma had gotten to Akane's side, the two of them had started to down Trollocs even quicker. Soon there were less than thirty left. It was obvious that the rest were panicking; they were becoming less eager to fight and seemed like they were trying to run away.

"Heh... we're winning." Ranma smirked. Something wouldn't let him feel bad about killing these things. He wasn't too sure what, but he knew that they needed to die. It was a martial artist's duty to exterminate monsters after all.

However, as he began his iajutsu technique for the next one, something happened. The Trolloc blocked the Gekkaja with its scimitar. As the curved blade began to ice over, Ranma pushed off the frozen metal and let loose an unannounced Kijin Raishuu Dan into the Trolloc's neck, leaving it to die.

It seemed that the remaining Trollocs were becoming more organized, and more eager to help each other out. One Trolloc would block a blow for another, and then both would attack Ranma at the same time after that. A glance over at Lan showed that he too was having increased difficulty fighting the creatures. Ducking a swing to his head, he carved up three more Trollocs. Though these ones seemed to have more skill than the last set, they still weren't a lot harder than fighting Kuno.

There... Ranma felt it, something staring at him from his right side. Looking at it, he had an involuntary shiver of fear go down his spine. If the Trollocs were an aberration, this was an abomination. It looked like a man, mostly, but it was far too pale to be human, with its hair cut perfectly short. However, where the eyes would be on a normal face, there was perfectly flat skin, but Ranma knew somehow that this creature could see. Its blade was already drawn and light glinted off the black armor that it had. It locked gazes with Ranma, almost calling him out to fight.

Fighting off another shiver, Ranma cut through one more Trolloc and ran at the eyeless creature with his blade at the ready. By the time he had reached the creature, it had begun to swing at him with its dark blade, only to have it be parried by Ranma's own weapon. However, unlike the Trollocs' scimitars, this sword did not ice over; rather it was pulled back for another cross-slash that Ranma parried again. Turning, Ranma dodged another slash as he attempted one of his own that the creature dodged.

Backing off, the creature's pale lips curled up into a sneer. "You're good, boy, I'll give you that." Its voice was gravely, like a deep growl of a bear. "However, you shan't beat me."

Ranma smirked a colder version of his usual one. "Challenge accepted. Pay attention; I'm only going to do this once, monster." Ranma pulled back the blade and then repeatedly struck the air in front of him with such a speed that it caused little shockwaves of air pressure to cut into the creature's armor, but none pierced its skin. "What... are you?"

The creature's sneer seemed to become even crueler. "Impressive, were I a normal Myrdraal, that probably would have killed me. But I am reinforced by the Great Lord's—"

The Myrdraal was cut off by Ranma shouting "Mokou Takabisha!" The golden confidence-powered ki-blast struck the Fade in the face as he was talking. For some reason it seemed to effect it more than Kuno's technique did. In fact, it burned off a good chunk of the creature's nose. "That shouldn't have happened."

"Te no Kage is my name, boy. That's what I was told to tell you. When we meet again, it will be in a proper battle. Possibly the Last." The Myrdraal faded into the shadows, disappearing much like the rider did earlier that day, and the remaining Trollocs quickly dispersed, running into the woods.

Ranma looked at the spot where the Halfman had been. "That was odd." Sheathing the Gekkaja, he swiftly treaded over to Akane's side. "Are you alright, Akane?"

Akane waved off his concern, "I'm fine, Ranma. Let's go over to help out Moiraine and Lan take care of the wounded."

Agreeing with his fiancée, but unwilling to voice it, he simply nodded as the two of them ended up heading back towards the inn.

*************************************

Moiraine was shocked to say the least. The things the boy had done..... they were incredible. And his blade... it froze whatsoever it touched. What the boy did _had_ to have been channeling, but then why in the name of the Light had she felt it? Were he using _saidin_ there was no way that she, even as a female channeler, should have been able to feel his channeling. No, whatever the boy had done was not using _saidin_ nor was it using _saidar_. Even though that was an impossibility. Moiraine berated herself for that one. A man using _saidar_.That would be the day. Still, whatever the boy had been using, she had felt just as sure as if it had been the One Power, yet she saw no weave.

Looking over at Lan, it seemed that he too felt her puzzlement and his normally stoic face had an inquisitive look on it as he looked over at Ranma. They were going to get some answers about this. Though not as bad as the White Ajah about not knowing, Moiraine was Blue Ajah, and she needed to know where the child and his friend fit into her plans.

****************************

(Authors Note:)

You'll note that I'm posting a smaller chapter than what my previous ones had been at, and I had promised myself that I wouldn't do that. However, I couldn't keep that promise. This chapter had been sitting with about this much done for about six months on my hard drive. Heck, I started this one a short while after I submitted chapter 2. However, school and other things distracted me from writing this. Before I continue writing more, I need to reread Eye of the World to see where to go from here. I _will_ finish this book of Half an Age. Whether I continue on after that depends on how I feel.

As always, comments and criticism are welcome. E-mail me at 


	6. April Fool's chapter

My name is Ranma. Now you probably think my family name is Saotome, but I've got news for you. It ain't. Yes, I am that Ranma that you are thinking of, but Takahashi changed our last names to make them a bit more comedic. If you think I'm going to tell you my last name, you're wrong. It isn't safe. They are out there. For the sake of safely telling this story, my name will be Ranma Saotome, and the others will retain their Takahashi names, but remember, these ain't our real names. I won't tell you where we live either. Nerima will have to do for now.

There's a reason for all of this secrecy. It ain't because we don't want the attention. Well, at least that kind of attention. We don't want _them_ to find us. Because if they did, all would be lost, and the Earth would lose its freedom.

There are days when I look back and remember a time when all I cared about was the Art. Well, the Art, and my cure. I remember that day when it happened. When it all changed for me; for me and for the rest of us. We were just kids back then.

*************************************************

Nerima Morphing Crew

An Animorphs/Ranma Nibunnoichi fusion By: Ellf

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Disclaimer: Animorphs is owned by K. A. Applegate, and Scholastic publishing. Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, Kitty Films, and Shokakugan Entertainment. There, the disclaimer thingy's out of the way. Now move before I send a league of Hork Bajir after you.

It was shortly after what had become known as the Failed Wedding incident. Akane and I getting married, well, Pop and Tendo-san can dream, can't they? It wasn't like I wanted to marry the uncute tomboy anyways. Anyways, I'm getting beside myself here, and forgot what I was writing about. I had to look back up at the beginning of the paragraph to figure out what exactly I was saying. Oh right, the failed wedding. After that, both Ukyo and Shampoo seemed to have doubled their efforts at chasing me, and Akane's temper seemed to... Well it wasn't exactly directed at me; she found a different punching bag this time around. Not that I can't take a hit from that tomboy, but I am happy she wasn't hitting me. You probably don't care who she was hitting anyways.

Anyways, the day that it happened, Akane and I decided we wanted to go to the mall. Actually, she decided and just dragged me along for carrying packages and stuff. We were actually having a good time.

I suddenly froze as I heard the ringing of a bicycle. That could only mean one thing. Shampoo. Don't know why she always does it, but somehow she managed to lodge the bicycle into my skull.

"Airen!" She glanced around from atop her bike on my head. "Where is Airen?"

I'm below the bike, baka. But I didn't say it like that. "D-down here..."

"Airen!" She glomped me, just like usual. Making sure to rub herself against me. Don't get me wrong, Shampoo's a pretty cute chick, but she always makes me uncomfortable when she's doing that, no matter what form she's in. That particular day, someone else happened to show up.

"Ranma! I shall

Lying on the floor of an unidentifiable altar area was a corpse dressed in rusted Roman Centurion armor. Beside it lay a staff apparently made of bone. A green light began to float around the room, originating from the arch of the altar. The green light pulsed and two voices could be heard. The first was female in sound, and the second, well the second was a whisper.

"So, here you have fallen, my servant…"

"_He has failed me, has been defeated by the human, and has caused me to be sealed once more."_

"And yet, he is needed, my avatar must be working his hand in the world…"

"_Needed to sow the seeds of chaos, despair and suffering, needed to help me prevail."_

"To help me regain my strength…"

"_Which I have lost to Ulyaoth…"_

"To help me regain my life…"

"_Which was taken by Mantorok…"_

"To help me regain my power…"

"_Which was eliminated by Chatturgha…"_

"He is needed…"

"_Yes, needed…"_

"Arise, my servant…"

"_Arise… Pious Augustus…"_

The green light went into the corpse, animating it on contact. A green arc of electricity seemed to travel up and down the body and caused it to twitch. And **SUDDENLY** it sat up! It reached its bony fingers towards the staff and used it to stand up. As his face could be seen, the eyes began to spark green.

"I await my orders, Mistress." came from the once more Lich.

"You know what you must do Augustus…"

"_Bring me back!!!"_

******************

A fanfic based upon the original characters created by Silicon Knights and Rumiko Takahashi.

Written by Peter Gallagher (Ellf)

******************

---------------------------

Eternal Darkness: Sanity Halved

---------------------------

"I had met the mother of my daughter on one of my trips to Japan. It was an innocent fling, but when she called me in Rhode Island nine months later, I found out that I had another child. The child's name was Nodoka Saotome; she had taken her mother's last name. I lost contact with her mother shortly afterwards, knowing only that I had a child. It wasn't until Nodoka had reached age eighteen when I heard from my daughter again. I traveled once more to Japan, hoping to elude the Guardians in the process. I was lucky and managed to forge bonds with Nodoka, perhaps not paternal ones, but bonds nonetheless.

An old photograph appeared, showing a certain young pigtailed martial artist about to knock on the door of a house.

"When I saw the activity of the Ancients in Japan, I was appalled that they had gotten that far. Fortunately, I was unable to locate a Guardian City, but that does not mean that there is not one there. I suspect the strangeness of the Nerima area originated from the Ancients and their meddling. Always meddling, biding their time as the millennia pass, waiting to be released."

The view of the picture panned out and the title of the chapter could be seen.

--------------------------

Chapter One: A Death in the Family

--------------------------

The picture began to fill with color as motion could be seen there. Ranma knocked on the door to the house, apparently impatient.

From within the house, a woman's voice can be heard, speaking rapidly in English. Footsteps could be heard heading towards the door, and the door quickly opened.

"Oh, hello Ranma-kun!" The woman in the doorway was fairly beautiful, with her hair a dark shade of red, almost chestnut and her bluish eyes, and she had a silk-wrapped bundle upon her back. In her left hand she had a telephone; it became apparent that she was the one speaking on the phone. Judging from her facial features and tone of voice, she was happy to see Ranma there though apparently something was bothering her as well.

"Hello momma." Ranma smiled a warm smile.

"Oh, where are my manners, come in my son, come in." Ranma's mother quickly led the teen inside, and then she promptly sat him down at the table in the dining room. She began to cook from within the kitchen.

Ranma began to fidget in his seat; he looked like he wanted to say something, but would not open his mouth. He got out of his seat and went into the kitchen to help his mother.

"Ranma, what brings you here today?"

Ranma grimaced, "Do I need an excuse ta visit you, momma?"

Nodoka smiled a bit, "Of course not, son. Though, it does seem odd that you are here without your fiancée."

Ranma scratched the back of his head, obviously because he was nervous. "Well, Akane and I… err…"

"Oh, so it was one of _those_ times?'

Ranma nodded emphatically at that statement. Nodoka sighed and continued to cook. The two of them worked quietly for a while, each seeming to know what was needed to be done next. They worked perfectly together as mother and son… erm… daughter… Ranma had gotten splashed in the middle of cooking, and they continued to work. After they had finished, Nodoka spoke up.

"Ranma-chan, I have to tell you something."

Ranma raised her eyebrow. "What is it momma?"

"My father, your grandfather, is dead."

Ranma's face turned pale as a sheet. Her body began to quiver. A view of the clock showed the time to be three thirty-three. "M-m-my g-grandfather?" Her face took on an angry expression. "How come I ain't never heard of him before?"

Nodoka's face became downcast. "Because, my son, I didn't want to cause you any dishonor."

Ranma's angered face turned to one of confusion. "Wha?"

"My mother was pregnant with me before she met the person she married. My father was a person named Edward Roivas. An American."

Ranma's eyes narrowed. "But he died recently?"

"Yes, about two months ago. I only just now found out, and his funeral is in a week."

Ranma's voice changed to a serious one. "How did you find out about this, momma?"

"Your cousin, Alex, called me; she was the one who identified the body."

"Wait, he was murdered?"

"Yes, my son."

"Have they caught the murderer?"

Nodoka sighed. "No my son, they have not. At least that is what your cousin indicated. The funeral is in a week, I am going."

"Momma, I'm not gonna let you go to America by yourself."

Nodoka smiled at her son turned daughter. "I was hoping that you and Akane-chan would accompany me on this trip. Your offer is a sign of manliness, Ranma."

"Akane? Feh, I don't need no stinking uncute tomboy ta come with me on the trip."

"Ranma! It isn't very manly to talk bad about your fiancée."

Ranma murmured, "Sorry momma."

"The plane leaves for Rhode Island in three days. We shall go to the airport then."

Ranma nodded and smiled. "Alright momma. I'll let the Tendos know about our trip, and invite 'kane along."

Nodoka walked over to Ranma and gave her a hug. "Before you go, I think you should eat some dinner first, and perhaps get some hot water."

Ranma grinned widely. "Food!"

The two ladies set the table and placed the food there. Shortly afterwards, Ranma used a kettle to return to his male form. He began to eat at his normal alarmingly fast rate before being berated by Nodoka. He apologized before continuing to eat at a, albeit still fast, slower pace. After he finished the meal he helped his mother with the dishes before giving her a hug and preparing to leave.

"Good-bye, momma. I'll see you soon."

"Good-bye Ranma-chan."

Ranma blushed a bit at that statement. He grasped the doorknob to open it and get out of the house.

*FLASH*

*************************************

Ranma found himself in a room, similar to that of an American church. He stood upon a platform that lead up to a hand that was closed around a book. Echoing through the area was the sound of millions of tortured screams that seemed only to get louder as he approached the hand. On either side of the path were statues each with a name marker underneath it. The first on his left read P. Augustus. As he continued down the path, he noticed one had the name E. Roivas engraved on the base. He looked up at the rest of the statue.

'_E. Roivas… Could this be Edward Roivas? My Grandfather?'_

Ranma paused to stare at the statue some more before the screams seemed to get louder and the statue seemed to tell him to move on. In fact, he heard an echo in his head as he was staring at the statue.

_Grab the book, child. You may be Humanity's last hope…_

Ranma continued down the path, reaching the end of it. He was surprised as the hand holding the book seemed to unclench its fingers from around it. Ranma reached out his arms to hold the book, which he now somehow knew to be the Tome of Eternal Darkness. Once his hands made contact with the book, thousands of images began to course through the martial artist's head.

*FLASH*

A man in Roman Centurion armor touching an artifact and becoming the Lich.

*FLASH*

A big purple creature with thousands of eyes, of mouths lay there breathing.

*FLASH*

A vision of each one of the statues as people and their accomplishments in the fight against the Darkness.

*FLASH*

He was back in his mother's house, ready to exit the door once more. Ranma blinked before muttering one word.

"Weird."

Ranma looked down into his hands to see the book that he had picked up from the weird hand. He shrugged off the feeling, but placed the book somewhere… He didn't know where, it just disappeared, but he knew he still had it.

When Ranma stepped outside the door, the first thing he noticed was that it was nighttime. He decided to take to the roofs and head back to the Tendo Household.

#Executing program: Human birth. Targets: Genma and Nodoka Saotome#

"Alright Saotome-san, get ready now, push..." The nurse was smiling at the auburn headed woman laying in the bed, obviously in labor.

"Genma! This is all your fault!" Nodoka snarled out as she went into another set of contractions.

#Target pod identified... Serial No. 5816238120... Mind match=positive#

Genma Saotome was sweating nervously and staring at his wife. "I know it's my fault, dear. It will all be over soon."

"Genma no BAKA! If I didn't love you so much you would meet the business end of the family katana!" Nodoka wailed.

The doctor in the room smiled down at his patient. "I can see the head. One more push should do it."

#Target child birth task: 89% complete#

"AUUUUUUGH!" Nodoka's face turned a crimson red, and suddenly a wailing sound filled the room.

"Congratulations Saotome-san. It's a...."

#Error 559: Gender protocol mismatch#

"Boy." The doctor completed with a grin at the married couple. Genma smiled at his wife and his new son. The pledge with Soun could be completed now.

"What do you say, No-chan? How about we name the boy, Ranma?"

Nodoka smiled demurely at her husband. "Of course, husband. Our son's name will be Saotome Ranma."

#Error 559 fix: Child will live as male. Pod Serial No. 5816238120 Identity name: Ranma Saotome. Location: Nerima, Tokyo, Japan. Child has unusual output of bio-energy. Fact recorded.#

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Matrix Nibunnoichi (Named this until I can find the word "Matrix" in Japanese)

By: Ellf

Disclaimer: _Ranma Nibunnoichi is drawn and written by Rumiko Takahashi, published by Viz and Kitty films in the United States. Shokakugan Entertainment publishes Ranma in Japan. The Matrix is a registered trademark of AOL Time Warner, and was written by the Wachowski Brothers._

*******************************************************************

Rare was the day where Ranma would find enough time to himself to truly relax. Luckily today was one of those rare days. The pigtailed boy was sitting in a lotus position, in an area surrounded on all sides by trees.

Now let it not be said that Ranma is an unintelligent person. Just that if it has nothing to do with martial arts, he had no interest in it. However, meditation was one of the few things outside of the Art that interested him. There were many reasons for this. For one, he found it easier to think in meditation, and his meditation felt more real than the life he lived when he was not in it. Ranma liked the feeling of realness, and perhaps he would find a solution to the mess that his father had helped him in to.

'_The girls ain't gonna give up. Not now, not ever. I need to make a decision. I don't wanna hurt their feelings though. And there might be more... consequences.'_

Ranma sat on that thought as it came out. Soon his mind was on a completely different subject though. It was on nothing. Mind of no mind. That is the point of meditation, and the pigtailed martial artist soon reached it. To anyone outside, Ranma was encased in an aura, one of pure white. This was a true ki master.

The feeling of being real soon became the sole focus in his mind. Reality, what was it? Was this real? Was he real? Does it really matter?

Ranma opened his eyes.

Where was he?!? Underwater, he could feel tubing in his throat! What was this?!? There were tubes sticking in him everywhere! Or more accurately, _her_, everywhere. Ranma began to thrash her body around before a shock went directly into her mind.

Ranma opened his eyes.

To see a world of green scrolling symbols. Ranma blinked, and he was in the park once more, but in his mind something affirmed itself. The wool had been pulled over his eyes before; he would not be tricked again. That pod was more real than here. He didn't like lies. He would find a way out once more. He would seek it. That... that was the solution.

#Anomaly detected: Pod Serial No. 5816238120. Individual: Ranma Saotome. Send tracking program to anomaly. Redirect subject: Ryoga Hibiki to Nerima Park. Observe. Sentinel programs keep in reserve#

Ranma slowly climbed to his feet, before hearing a cry of "Ranma, prepare to die!"

On top of Mount Horaizan, two people were locked in a fierce battle. Saotome Ranma was fighting for her life, and for her manhood. Prince Herb had already used the Kaisuifuu to unlock his curse and return to his male form. Ranma was desperately trying to do the same, but Herb wouldn't let her get near the flowing water.

"You can't win, Saotome. There is no chance of it."

Ranma glared at the Musk Prince. The man claimed to come from a bloodline of a dragon and definitely had the power and ability to back it up. How could she beat someone like him? Still... She had to try. Leaping at the floating man, she thrust her fist towards his jaw. Herb simply grabbed her hand, spun around and threw her into the ground.

_Damn it... I need to think of something to do._

"What's wrong Saotome? Finally realize the truth?"

Slowly getting up to her feet, she spat out, "I will not lose, Herb!" She began to try to lead him into a spiraling motion.

"I don't think so, Saotome. That technique doesn't work on me. Now try this!" A yellow energy blade streamed from the man's arms towards the pigtailed girl. She dodged, of course, but having to get out of the spiral step to do so. Instead of hitting her, it struck the mountain where the streaming steaming hot water from the Kaisuifuu was coming out. A crack wormed its way down from where that ki blade struck, causing the mountain to break apart. A glint of copper announced the falling kettle that was the Kaisuifuu.

"No!" Ranma leapt at it, only to be stopped by Herb. However a fanged boy who was watching the battle also jumped towards it, falling into the same crevice.

"Ranma," he yelled, "I'll get the Kaisuifuu; you just concentrate on Herb!"

Nodding, she turned her attention back on the prince. He didn't even look winded. She herself was panting and could barely stand. Herb smirked and looked her over. "Seems you're ready to continue." He then flew at her with an alarming speed. Grasping her arm he threw her head first into the ground, leaving a large crater there. "I guess I win, Saotome."

As she climbed to her feet, her eyes remained closed. "I told you before, Herb..." The pigtailed girl's eyes started to open. "I will not lose!" Her eyes opened, revealing something far different than her usual blue orbs. These eyes were red on black, with three spoke-like colorations towards the center. Suddenly she was on her feet.

"If the Hiryuu Shoten Ha won't work on you, then maybe this will." She began to do a few quick formations with her hands. "_Fuuton: Hiryuu Kaze no Jutsu!"_ (Wind Element: Rising Dragon Wind Technique) Holding her hands near her face, she blew with her mouth and what looked like a horizontal tornado came out and flew towards the dragon descendant. The wind took form into that of a dragon.

"Impossible... Ninjutsu?" Herb desperately tried to fly out of the way of it, barely avoiding a direct strike.

Suddenly the ground exploded upwards near Ranma. "Ryoga! Were you able to get it?"

The fanged boy bounded out of the hole he made with a sad expression on his face. "I'm sorry Ranma; it broke when it hit the ground."

"Damn it!" Ranma cursed before getting punched across her jaw, causing her to fall backwards. She used her momentum to do a back flip and land on her feet. The redhead stared Herb directly in the eye. "So, you hope to beat me with taijutsu now, do you?" Suddenly, she wasn't there anymore.

The Musk prince franticly began to move his head around, looking for something, anything that could help him locate that troublesome woman.

"Now Herb-chan, you wouldn't be looking for me now would you?"

There! He turned quickly and launched a ki blade at the figure he saw there. She didn't even dodge. Instead, she began to melt. "What is this?"

"It's called a replication, Herb-chan. You took away my manhood. Now I'll show you how much suffering you have caused me; I'll show you why I fought so desperately. _Mangekyou Sharingan: Tsukiyomi!_" Her eyes changed once more as she stared into the eyes of the Musk prince. The spokes formed a three pronged spiral of black that captured his attention. He collapsed to the ground, barely remaining conscious.

"I... I... I'm... sorry..."

"Prince Herb!" Herb's two attendants rushed to his side and began to help him up.

"Be glad I didn't kill you, Herb. I could do that easily regardless of your bloodline. You can't stand against my Sharingan." Ranma collapsed to the ground after that, the other two that were watching the match rushed over to her.

Glancing down at the redhead, Ryoga sighed. He had waited so long to get his revenge on Ranma, and now he couldn't do it. He felt her pulse... and paled.

"What is it, Ryoga?" A man with long black hair and glasses asked.

"It's too slow. We need to get her to a doctor, and fast!" He picked her up and began to run off in an inane direction with Mousse right behind him. The scenery changed, and changed again.

"Ryoga! I don't know how you did it, but we're in Nerima! I'll lead the way from here. We're going to Tofu-sensei." Mousse grabbed the lost boy's hand and practically dragged him as they roof-hopped to Ono Chiropractic. The long-haired boy called out, "Tofu-sensei! Come quick!"

An older man dressed in a work robe stepped out from the back of the chiropractor's office. His eyes were covered in glasses, and he stood about six inches taller than Ryoga. The light glinted off the man's glasses once as he looked over at Mousse. Narrowing his eyes as he looked at the bundle in Ryoga's hands, he said, "Bring Ranma to me, and tell me what happened." _Her ki is almost dry, and yet her chakra is higher than her ki. Odd; even for Ranma. Perhaps my old friend will indeed awaken soon._

As the two youths explained the events that happened leading up to them bringing her there, Doctor Tofu's face became more and more concerned. When they told him what exactly Ranma did to Herb, his face twitched as he asked the pair, "Are you sure that's the technique she used?"

Ryoga nodded vehemently. "She called it the Mangekyou Sharingan."

Tofu gasped. The only way for Ranma to have used the Mangekyou would be if he had awakened. "I haven't had to use this technique in a while, but it should help Ranma out enough so that she can wake up." Tofu quickly made a few hand seals and placed his hands over Ranma-chan's body. Whatever wounds she had seemed to close up, and her pulse quickened.

Ranma gazed down upon the destruction that was once Nerima. He saw the

bodies of his friends and enemies alike lying there. A slight chuckle

escaped him; a chuckle that expanded into a full blown maniacal laugh.

"They're gone! They're all gone! I'm free from them!"

Ranma placed the mask in his hands on his face, and it began to rain.

The rain just bounced off of the suit that he was wearing.

"It was wise of me to wear this suit. Now I will never change again.

Japan bores me... Let's see how Jump City faces my wrath."

Lightning struck behind Ranma, illuminating his orangish metalic mask.

Five years later:

It was a gloomy night in Jump City as a ship in the port exploded

on its deck. A humanoid being made almost entirely of rock began

lifting various crates off of the deck. It grunted and threw the crate

that it was holding off the ship and into the water.

A garrison of SWAT officers began to shoot from behind their shields at

the creature. The creature picked up another rather large crate and

threw it at the annoying gnats.

The police scattered like ants; however, they were not quick enough as

it looked like the crate was going to fall on them. The police cringed

anticipating certain doom; doom that never came. They opened their

eyes to find the crate hovering above them, surrounded with a black

aura.

"Don't you ever learn Cinderblock?" A male voice asked.

The police glanced over in the direction of the voice to find a group

of five apparent teenagers dressed in various clothing. Three were

male, and the two that were female were hovering. The speaker was

wearing red and yellow, had a thin black strip covering his eyes, and

had a big "R" over his heart. One of the other apparent males had many

electronic parts covering his body, including what looked like a gun

for a hand that was aimed straight at the creature now identified as

Cinderblock. The remaining male was wearing a purple body suit that

went nicely on his green skin and pointed ears. One of the hovering

girls had glowing green eyes and a green aura surrounding her hands;

she wore a purple suit, purple fingerless gloves, and boots to match.

The remaining teen was hovering with a blue cloak overshadowning her

forehead, and there was a black aura coming from her hands extending to

the crate.

Cinderblock's eyes glowed red and glared at the teens.

"Titans go!" Yelled what looked like the leader of the group.

And go they did, the girl in the blue cloak turned towards Cinderblock

with the crate in tow. The crate flew at the stone man and was

instantaneously demolished with one punch.

The other girl began tossing green balls of light at the stone creature

which exploded on impact; however, these seemed to have no effect

whatsoever.

The cybernetic young man fired a beam of sonic energy at the creature,

again to no avail. Cinderblock swatted at the flying girl, but she

flew out of his reach.

"Azarath Metreon ZINTHOS!!!" The caped girl cryed as her black aura

surrounded several objects and flung them at the stone man. The

objects kept hitting Cinderblock, knocking him back further and further

towards the edge of the ship.

The young man in the black and yellow cape threw several explosive

disks at Cinderblock. The stone creature ran at the young man only to

be stopped by a green rhinocerous that slammed itself into him.

Cinderblock struck the rhino with his fist and sent it flying. As it

flew it morphed into the green teen.

"Beast Boy, no!" Cryed the flying girl with the purple tunic as she

flew to catch the teen.

Beast Boy said to the girl, "I'm alright Starfire, just help Robin."

As Starfire glanced down towards the battle, she saw Robin engaging

Cinderblock with his metal staff. Beastboy morphed into a falcon and

dove towards Cinderblock. The man with cybernetic body parts fired

another sonic blast at the stone creature before running out at it.

The girl in the cape wrapped her aura around the nearby crane and used

it to clutch at Cinderblock.

"Cyborg, let's hit him at the same time." Robin said to the cybernetic

young man.

Cyborg nodded to Robin, and then they both ran at Cinderblock, jumped,

and kicked him. Cinderblock moved back an inch, broke the crane

latched onto him, and swatted the two teens off of the ship. Cinderblock

then charged at the caped girl and she couldn't get out of the way in time.

"No! Raven!" cryed Beast Boy who then turned into a T-rex and charged

Cinderblock, knocking him back a few feet. Starfire began to throw her

green energy blasts at Cinderblock, then she threw one massive blast at

Cinderblock, kicking up dust and obscuring him from view.

Starfire landed, Cyborg, Robin, and Raven managed to get back onto

the ship and stood next to Starfire. Beast Boy backed up to be near

them as well, in his natural form.

The dust began to clear, and there was Cinderblock, standing there, unfazed.

"No Way, Star pulls a massive blast and he still stands?" Beast Boy inquired.

"Apparently. This does not look good." Came from Raven.

"Indeed, I will have to agree with Raven, Cinderblock seems to be in

better stamina this time." From Starfire.

A red energy blast exploded on Cinderblock, and he was knocked

back a few feet.

"Where'd that come from?" Robin asked.

"My sensors are picking up an energy reading matching the

blast from... there!" Cyborg pointed behind them on the docks,

and they saw another energy blast heading towards Cinderblock,

only this time punctuated by a "Mokou Takabisha!!"

"It looks like you Americans could use some help."

The Titans looked at the one who this line came from.

She had a spotted bandana wrapped around her head, and she had

her shoulder-length hair in a pig-tail. She was wearing a red

chinese silk wooden button shirt, and black silk pants. She appeared

to be wearing slippers as well. On her back she carried a large

backpack and a red bamboo umbrella.

The girl could be heard saying "This is for you, Ranma and Ryouga."

as she charged Cinderblock, pulling a mallet from apparently nowhere

and striking him. Cinderblock staggered back, confused as a few cracks

appeared in his stone body.

"Titans, help her!"

Starfire flew at the golem and began to throw more energy blasts, and

she also started using eye beams. Cyborg blasted Cinderblock with his

sonic cannon, and Robin threw several bombs at it. The girl smirked.

"Let's see how you deal with this, monster!"

She raised her finger up high and leapt at the creature. She plunged

her finger into Cinderblock's leg and cried:

"Bakusai Tenketsu!"

Suddenly the golem's legs exploded into tiny shards of stone, with the

explosion knocking even the girl back a few feet. The girl adjusted

her hair and looked back at the Titans, who had landed and were staring

at her.

Robin spoke up, "Who are you?"

The girl scratched the base of her pigtail. "Oh, my name is Akane

Tendo, sorry 'bout this."

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this piece of

fanfiction.

The Wild Villain (Tentative Title)

By: Ellf

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"So, do you have the stuff?" Ichido Takamura asked his friend when he pulled up on his motorcycle.

"Yeah, yeah... I got your stuff." Seijiro Yamada pulled off his backpack to show Jiro its contents. Jiro nodded.

"Good, we'll head out then, the others will meet us there." He smiled at his friend. The two headed off on their motorcycles and travelled for a bit before pulling over at their stop, an abandoned shrine located on the water.

As the two were walking along towards the shrine, Seijiro spoke up, "So what is it we're doing here, anyway? Weren't we told not to come here?"

"What do you know about the Legend of the Orochi, Sei?"

The young man glanced at the shrine ahead. "Not much. I don't pay much attention to that mythology crap."

"Ah, Sei, but that's why we're here tonight. Legend has it that around three hundred years ago, on this shrine's very spot stood the Moon Cave, a place where Orochi himself lived for one hundred years before. And every year on the full moon of April he would claim the most beautiful woman in Kamiki as his sacrifice. But, Orochi was stopped... by the efforts of the white wolf, Shiranui and the great swordsman, Nagi. However, Shiranui died in the destruction of the Orochi. Legend also has it that Orochi returned one hundred years later to once and for all be destroyed by Shiranui reborn and the descendant of Nagi, Susano." Ichido smirked as he finished his sentence. "As I said, this is where Orochi's base was, and it might have some _spooky power_." He finished that sentence in a distorted voice as he waggled his fingers at his friend.

Seijiro's face paled a bit at the last part of it. "So we're going to this shrine for what reason?"

"Why else? It's cool and might have some things of value to sell off."

Shrugging, Seijiro followed his friend up the stairs to the dilapidated shrine. The shrine itself couldn't have been less than one hundred years old, and it led all the way down to the water. Upon entering, Seijiro's eyes had to adjust for the darkness, and he pulled two flashlights out of his backpack and handed one to Ichido.

"Ugh... I've never seen a shrine in such bad condition." Seijiro commented. The shoji separating the rooms were torn and everything had a fine layer of dust.

"Never mind that, follow me." Ichido took off towards the back of the shrine at a fast pace that Seijiro was hard pressed to follow. The two quickly made it to the end of the room where three others were waiting. Seijiro quickly appraised the room. Hanada Yamamoto, a rather large young man with a fairly generic face, leaned against the wall opposite the entrance to the room. Nishiro Daikoku, who was next to him and the contrast of body types was immense. Where Hanada was large, Nishiro was small and it was like that all of their lives. The fifth and final member of their group, Homura Raito glanced at Ichido on their way in. A guardian statue stood in the center of the room, the only well kept thing in the entire shrine. Though small, it gave a sense of peace to the place.

"So why, exactly are we here, Ichido?" Homura asked, he stepped towards his friend and tripped over the guardian statue.

"Careful now," Nishiro sneered. "Wouldn't want the kami to wake up and yell at us for being unfaithful."

"I'll tell you what I think of unfaithful, Nishi, old friend. Honor and humility... All a load of crap. Like this guardian statue." Homura growled at it and kicked. A line started to form down its center.

Seijiro yelped out as Homura's leg struck the statue. "Hey! What did the statue ever do to you? Why don't we leave it be?"

"Because it's there, Sei. Representing tradition that is full of crap. After all, who believes in the Orochi anyway?" He kicked the statue again, another spiderweb-like crack formed in it before it shattered. Five paper masks fell out of the remains of the statue. Each one marked with a different character. Homura picked them up. Unbeknownst to him a black mist slowly began to fill the room.

"Hey, Homura, what's that you got there?" Hanada asked.

"Just some weird masks, fatty. Here, this one has the start of your name on it, why don't you put it on?"

Homura handed the mask with the "ha" character to Hanada, and passed the rest of the masks out to the others.

"How come I got the one with the "ro" on it?" Seijiro complained.

"Because there weren't any with "Se" on them, Sei." Homura answered, and as they brought the masks up to their faces, the black mist in the room began to take form. A shadow of an eight headed serpent appeared and wrapped around the boys as their masks were put on.

When the mist cleared, five changed beings stood where the boys were, looking around confused. This only lasted a moment before the beings stood up at attention. "We must ready this place for Lord Orochi's return." The green one that had been Ichido said.

"Yes, his return!" The yellow one repeated.

"All hail, Lord Orochi!"

*********************************************

Author's Notes:

Well, I guess I fooled you all. April Fools! Congrats on seeing some clips of unfinished fics of mine.


	7. Chapter 4: Out of the Two Rivers

Fearfully, Rand looked around as he dragged his feverish father towards town. He needed to get out of the Westwood. The red-headed lad continued onwards, ever glancing back and forth. The Trollocs had attacked the farm a short while after he and Tam had gotten back there. He worried that they were still around and looking for him. That one Trolloc said something about a Myrddraal looking for him, wanting to speak to him. Light! A Myrddraal! This was like something out of a gleeman's tale, but unlike any brave adventurer, he could feel his fear creeping up through him. He hoped that he would reach the town soon.

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Half An Age Book One: The Wild Horse Cometh

By Ellf

Chapter 4: Out of the Two Rivers

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Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and is published in the United States by Viz. The Wheel of Time series, Randland and all of those characters belong to Robert Jordan's estate, and the series is published by Tor books. (Mostly) All other characters and series mentioned belong to their respective authors.

The attack on Emond's Field ended almost as abruptly as it started, but the damage done to the town was substantial. Reports had come in about the Cauthon farm being burned to the ground, and luckily the entire family had been in town for a Bel Tine that looked as if it would not be happening. After a Trolloc attack, the mood just left the town. Other places were burned as well, the Luhan forge, the Aybara house, and a few other homes all had fire damage. Luckily due to the interference of an Aes Sedai, her Warder, and two Outlander teens, there were no casualties other than the invading Trollocs whose bodies now littered the town streets. The men of the town brought out carts and, under the direction of Moiraine Sedai, began loading the bodies of the Shadowspawn onto the carts so they could be burned in an area where the smell would not waft through Emond's Field in its entirety.

Ranma grunted as he loaded the latest Trolloc body onto the cart near him. Glaring over at Akane he grumbled out, "You could help me, you know."

A village woman near Akane responded before Akane could. "Why should she help you? What you're doing is men's work. Don't worry about her, we'll make sure that she's all right."

"Seems good enough for _her_." Ranma muttered under his breath as he hefted yet another Trolloc body onto the cart. The her in question was, of course Moiraine Sedai who was pointing out where the Trollocs should be burned and what manner to do it in to the aptly listening villagers. Ranma followed the cart as the horse up front dragged it along. He mulled the night itself over in his thoughts, barely noticing the directions he walked. Unbeknownst to him, the villagers gave Ranma a bit of a wide berth, and even the villager that led the horse in front of the cart seemed to want nothing to do with the pigtailed boy. This suited Ranma just fine as his musing continued.

Moiraine gave the orders to burn the Trollocs, expecting them to be followed, but her attention wasn't on the task at hand. As Lan went through the bodies identifying their origins, she focused on the enigma that was Ranma Saotome. How did he fit into the plans that brought her here in the first place? His abilities were not channeling insofar as she could tell, but it was always best to make sure of these things. If it wasn't channeling, then what was it? Walking over to the boy she embraced _saidar_, ready to weave if the need called for it.

"Young man, I would have a word with you."

At the sound of the Aes Sedai's voice, Ranma turned his head in her direction. "What do you want to talk about?"

Moiraine led him away from the burning Trolloc bodies to where they would not be overheard. "Ranma, tell me what you know about the One Power."

Ranma's brow furrowed in thought. "Well... I don't know much, but I remember the villagers saying something about men not being able to use it without going mad. Women can use it. Something about Eesu Seidai."

"Aes Sedai, Ranma, is what we are called. I am an Aes Sedai." Moiraine neglected to finish that statement as it was unnecessary because neither Ranma nor Akane knew much. "And the One Power is divided into two sides, one for men, _saidin, _one for women, _saidar_. The reason men cannot use _saidin_ is because it is tainted by the Dark One. The taint drives them mad."

"And what does this have to do with me?" Ranma seemed genuinely interested, but a little perturbed.

"During the fight against those Shadowspawn, you cut off a Trolloc's arm with _something_, and then there was the fireball you used on the Myrddraal." Moiraine's voice showed no emotion.

"That wasn't a fireball. It was a Mokou Takabisha. My Ki blast."

"Ki? I'm afraid that I don't recognize the word." The Aes Sedai's interest peaked.

"Ki is.. uh..." Ranma scratched at the base of his pigtail. "Ki is life energy. Everything has it."

Moiraine nodded, accepting the definition of the foreign word. "I see... and you are able to manipulate this... Ki?" She rolled the unfamiliar word around in her mouth.

Ranma nodded and smirked. "I can. The tomboy can too, but not as good as me."

"Could you possibly demonstrate this for me so that I can get a comparison?" The boy seemed a little surprised at that. Interesting, and was that confidence on his face? Moiraine motioned for Lan to come over, just in case. She also weaved a Shield around the boy.... which stuck there as if it were blocking _something_, but if Ranma knew it was there, he gave no indication of it.

"Sure, no problem." Ranma closed his eyes and put himself in what looked to be a boasting position. He then cupped his hands in front of him, facing upwards. Moiraine gasped as she saw the boy start to glow with a power. This power felt similar to s_aidar, _yet it most definitely was different. She had never seen anything like this before.

"I see it too, Moiraine." That confirmed that it was not _saidin_, Moiraine knew that Lan could not channel, and it also confirmed that the boy was not channeling when he did this, as the Shield did nothing to block it.

"Thank you, Ranma. That was similar to channeling, but it was not it." Moiraine smiled. "This was very educational. Please return to helping the villagers. I must return to helping some of the injured."

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Ranma mulled over his conversation with Moiraine most of the rest of the night, and as dawn started to break, he brought one last load of Trollocs over to the Aes Sedai and her Warder.

Lan checked over the arm-band of the Trolloc that he laid down before him. "Ko'bal. That makes seven bands so far."

Ranma raised his eyebrow at that. "Seven bands, is that a lot?"

"Yes, boy, it is quite a bit. Nearly an entire fist. How they managed to get here is beyond me." Lan's stony face gave nothing away, but Moiraine's tone from ten feet away did.

"Seven bands, seven. How could we have missed this, Lan? This many Trollocs have not worked together since the Trolloc wars. Not this far south of the Blight. This is simply bad news. We should have gained some time by coming here. I _thought_ we gained a march by coming here, but we may be further behind than ever"

Ranma stared. Moiraine looked far more weary than when he last spoke with her. Bits of hay stuck out of her hair, and she seemed very physically tired. "Hey, Moiraine-san, what am I, chopped liver? It could have been worse."

"Right, let us not forget the Fade attack, boy." Lan's lips twitched at that. "You did well to hold your own against it. Not many men can say they fought a Myrddraal and lived."

"Still, this does worry me. This many Trollocs, this far south. How could we have missed this? How could anyone have missed it?"

"Mistress Moiraine... I mean Moiraine Sedai?" The three of them turned to the source of the voice. There stood Rand al'Thor, panting and looking like he had a worse night than Ranma himself did. The look of worry on his face. Ranma felt his worry from where he was.

"A little more light in the darkness." Ranma barely heard the Aes Sedai's murmur. "Tell me, how are your dreams, Rand al'Thor?"

Ranma was tempted to tune this out, but Rand's response was a confused one. "My dreams?"

"Hey, what about his dreams, I mean sure, a night like this could easily give a person who isn't me bad dreams, but Rand doesn't look like he's slept."

"Of course."

"It... There's nothing wrong with my... It's my father. He's hurt, it's not more than a scratch, but the fever, it's burning him up."

"What happened to him, Rand?" Ranma worried. The man who helped them out was sick?

"One of the Trollocs, he cut him with his sword. I don't understand how a scratch could cause such a fever." Rand turned towards Moiraine. "I... ah... it's said that Aes Sedai can heal. If you can help him... anything you can do for him.... I'll pay any cost... no matter what it is." The red-haired young man drew in a deep breath. "I'll pay any price in my power if you can help him. Anything."

Ranma stared... Moiraine did say that she was going to help the injured. He felt like he should be somewhere else, but both the older boy and the Aes Sedai looked like they were dead on their feet.

Ranma must have missed a response because he heard the Warder say, "Death comes sooner or later to everyone, unless they serve the Dark One, and only fools are willing to pay that price."

Moiraine made a clucking sound with her tongue that actually drew Ranma out of his reverie. "Do not be so gloomy, Lan. We do have some reason to celebrate, it is a small one, but one nonetheless. Master Saotome, if you don't mind, could you help me up? I find myself in a position that is rather hard to get out of."

Ranma nodded. "Sure thing, Moiraine-san." He walked over to where she was and pulled her to her feet, and in an instant, Lan was next to her, holding the Aes Sedai's staff for her to lean on.

"Now then, take me to your father, Rand. I will help him as much as I am able to. Too many people refused my help here, and even refused young Ranma's. They heard the same stories you did."

Ranma gauged Rand's reaction to people refusing help, but it seemed that Rand was more worried about his father than paying attention to those parts of the words.

"Please, he's at the inn." Rand said. "And thank you. Thank you!"

Ranma paced himself with the Warder and Aes Sedai as they followed Rand, but Rand darted ahead, obviously impatient to get back to his father. His pace slowed down as he waited for the three to catch up, and he darted ahead again.

On the third time he commented, "Please hurry."

"Look Rand, I understand that you're worried about your pop and all, but Moiraine seems kind of tired."

"Yes, sheepherder, even with an _angreal, _ what she did last night was like running around the village with a sack of stones on your back. I'm not even sure you're worth it, no matter what she says."

Ranma bit back his comment about his father's training at this point in time. It would be inappropriate.. and he was tired too. He had been up for nearly twenty-four hours and the day before that he had been fighting for his and Akane's life, much like the previous night. He felt like he could just collapse on a futon and fall asleep for days.

Whatever Moiraine said to the boy it seemed to work as Rand was now walking at a sedate pace. He'd quieted down too. This suited Ranma just fine as he had his own moral dilemma to work out here. Was killing those creatures wrong, or was it the right thing to do because it saved people?

Ranma's contemplation continued until they reached the doors of the Winespring Inn. Rand hurried inside, his eagerness to see his father outweighing his fear of the Warder. Rand sped to a room that connected to the common room itself.

Upon reaching the room that Rand led them to, Ranma gasped at the state Tam was in. The man who had been so kind to him and Akane laid in the bed in front of him, obviously feverish and with his eyes shut. Tam's breaths came out as labored gasps, very low, very raspy. The mayor leaned over the man, tending to him as Ranma helped Moiraine in. It was obvious that he was in a conversation with the gleeman, who was only about five feet away. He favored Moiraine with an uneasy look, and gave a relieved look to Ranma.

Thom put an unlit pipe into his mouth before taking it out quickly. Ranma shook his head as he heard the gleeman's words "Man can't even smoke in peace. I had best make sure some farmer doesn't steal my cloak to keep his cow warm. At least I can smoke out there." The man quickly left the room and Ranma glanced back down.

"How is he, Master al'Vere?" Ranma looked down at Tam, ignoring Lan's statement of mistrust against the gleeman, and the mayor's reply.

"He's not any better than what I can tell... _She_ might be able to tell you more about his condition."

At that Rand stated, "My father?" Imploring Moiraine's attention to him.

Before the mayor could speak again, Moiraine spoke. "Leave me with him, Master al'Vere. There is nothing you can do here now except get in my way."

Bran's face slightly reddened at that statement, and he glanced between the door and the Aes Sedai. Apparently coming to a decision, he clapped both Ranma and Rand on the shoulder. "Come along boys. Let us leave Moiraine Sedai to her . . . ah . . . her . . . There's plenty you can give me a hand with downstairs. Before you know it Tam will be shouting for his pipe and a mug of ale."

Rand turned towards Moiraine after that. "Can I stay? Please? I'll stay out of your way, I just want to see my father all right. You won't even know I'm here... Please... he's my father."

Bran snorted out in worry at that, not even waiting for the Aes Sedai's reply before turning to Ranma. "Come on, lad. I still need to show you to your room. Your friend is sleeping soundly in hers."

Ranma nodded. "The tomboy's already asleep? Good for her."

Ranma followed the mayor out of the room and up some stairs. Bran led him to an inn room that was obviously unoccupied.

"This night's not been kind to us, but we Two Rivers folk are made of stern stuff. I suspect that I'll need to ask your friend to share a room with my Egwene tonight, if you are planning on staying longer. A few people will need rooms to stay in after an attack like that."

"I'm sure the tomboy'll understand, Master al'Vere. She may be stubborn, but she has a good heart on her. Probably too good for her own good a times." Ranma muttered something about crazy princes under his breath.

Bran raised an eyebrow at that. "At any rate, get some sleep, lad. I thank you a lot for helping to keep this town standing... Regardless of what you can do." He walked away down the hall, leaving Ranma at the room entryway.

Shrugging at Bran's statement, Ranma yawned. He was tired, after all. The night had taken its toll on him. For all he knew it could have been one really strange dream brought on from fighting Saffron. Still... Ranma shuddered again at the memory of the Trollocs and their leader. The creatures were most definitely demons, and it was a martial artist's duty to destroy them.

Ranma looked around the room and saw a simple bed, a dresser, a chamberpot and a side table. He laid his sword down next to the bed. It still amazed him that the Gekkaja turned into such a weapon. Taking off his overshirt and his pants, Ranma folded them up neatly and placed them by his sword on the side table. He laid down in the bed and closed his eyes. Softer than he was used to, but it worked... When he woke up he'd figure out.... how.... to....

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Blackness. A splash of water. Bright light and a bald man standing above her, grabbing her arm and throwing her out the window into a koi pond.

"What'd ya do that for, pops?"

"Time to train, Ranma. You've been getting soft!"

Ranma leaped into action, exchanging blows with her father. He seemed slower than usual, and Ranma decided to taunt him for it.

"Hey old man, maybe I'm not the one getting soft, you can't seem to land a good blow today!"

"I'll show you who can't land a good blow, girl!" Their fight picked up in earnest, but Ranma couldn't seem to focus on it. Something kept drawing her attention, some source of serenity... and some source of something else. Still, the old man needed a dunking. She refused to be the only one with her curse activated this morning.

Ranma caught Genma with a hammer-arm blow that sent him careening into the pond. Genma took a bit longer to get out of the pond than usual, and Ranma landed on the pond's edge.

"Pop?" Ranma asked, nervousness tinging her voice.

"Ranma-kun, Uncle Saotome! Breakfast time!" Standing at the entrance to the household was Kasumi, Akane's older sister. Dressed in her usual apron and conservative clothing, she had a large smile on her face.

Worry forgotten, Ranma started to head inside. _The Old Man can take care of himself._ She approached Kasumi, or at least tried to. It seemed that each step she took towards the girl took her nowhere, further from the koi pond, but not closer to the house itself, and Kasumi... she just stood there waving at her.

"Breakfast time Ran-" There! Something interrupted Kasumi! Her face looked to be in pain. Sticking out of the front of her neck, where a man's Adam's Apple would be was a blade. The blade slowly carved its way down Kasumi's body like it were tissue paper... that dripped with blood. As her severed body fell forward, her lips managed to mouth out the last part of her statement, which should have been inaudible. "-ma-kun..."

Standing behind Kasumi's body was a horrific demon, half man, half beast. A panther-headed Trolloc that merely smiled at Ranma, who clenched up at the horror of what the creature had done... before turning tail and running towards the Koi pond.

Ranma wasn't looking where she... now he for some reason... was running... and out of the koi pond burst an eyeless horror dressed in dark armor. It grasped him on the arm with its icy grip, locking its eyeless gaze onto Ranma's eyes.

"You can never win... boy."

Ranma heard a loud thumping noise in the background... and opened his eyes, breathing heavily.

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The thumping was coming from his door and continued for about five seconds before the door swung open. Standing at the door was Lan, the Warder, who looked him in the eye.

"Good. You're awake." He tossed Ranma a bundle. "Put these clothes on and come downstairs. You'll be leaving with us, you and your girl."

Not even giving Ranma a chance to reply, the warder stalked out of the room, muttering something about crazy women and commenting on competency.

Ranma looked at the bundle in his hands. It was an outfit similar to what the warder wore underneath his cloak and armor, from what he could tell. A traveling outfit that would hopefully fit him. He put the outfit on quickly, and saw that it came with a backpack. Putting his old clothes into the backpack, and tying his sword at his waist, he appraised himself in front of the mirror that was in the room.

The clothes looked rather good on him, giving him a more rugged, manly look that made him smirk. Damn, he made these clothes look good. Well... no time like the present to get moving, he could hear the crowd outside from here. They sounded angry for some reason.

Stepping out of the room, Ranma had to do a double take as he saw Akane dressed in a dress similar to that Egwene girl. It was a forest green dress that had a bit of a high neckline. Perfect for the weather the way it was. She looked beautiful in it, and Ranma smiled.

"How are you doing, Akane?"

Akane smiled at Ranma. "Pretty good, but I wonder why Moiraine-san was so eager to have us leave in a hurry."

"Can't you hear outside? Sounds like there's a riot out there. Might as well see what's going on." Ranma looked towards the stairs and started down them, gesturing for Akane to follow. He got to the common room of the inn and almost ran into Lan, Mat and Rand, who were peering through the front door of the inn.

The Warder motioned for the two of them to be quiet, and Ranma glanced outside to see a group of villagers wielding torches and various farming implements. He listened as they shouted at Bran, and as they shouted at Moiraine.... and then she spoke up.

"Is this what Aemon's blood has come to?" Her voice was not loud, but it could be heard over every other sound. "Little people squabbling for the right to hide like rabbits? You have forgotten who you were, forgotten what you were, but I had hoped some small part was left, some memory in blood and bone. Some shred to steel you for the long night coming."

Bran said, "Forgotten who we were? We are who we always have been. Honest farmers and shepherds and craftsmen. Two Rivers folk."

"To the south," Moiraine said, "lies the river you call the White River, but far to the east of here men call it still by its rightful name. Manetherendrelle. In the Old Tongue, Waters of the Mountain Home. Sparkling waters that once coursed through a land of bravery and beauty. Two thousand years ago Manetherendrelle flowed by the walls of a mountain city so lovely to behold that Ogier stonemasons came to stare in wonder. Farms and villages covered this region, and that you call the Forest of Shadows, as well, and beyond. But all of those folk thought of themselves as the people of the Mountain Home, the people of Manetheren.

"Their King was Aemon al Caar al Thorin, Aemon son of Caar son of Thorin, and Eldrene ay Ellan ay Carlan was his Queen. Aemon, a man so fearless that the greatest compliment for courage any could give, even among his enemies, was to say a man had Aemon's heart. Eldrene, so beautiful that it was said the flowers bloomed to make her smile. Bravery and beauty and wisdom and a love that death could not sunder. Weep, if you have a heart, for the loss of them, for the loss of even their memory. Weep, for the loss of their blood."

She stopped speaking for a bit there, but no one else spoke. Ranma was as enraptured by the story as anyone else, and slowly moved towards the door so that he could hear better. When she spoke again, he took in the words as if his life depended on it.

"They were far away, the men of Manetheren, on the Field of Bekkar, called the Field of Blood, when news came that a Trolloc army was moving against their home. Too far to do else but wait to hear of their land's death, for the forces of the Dark One meant to make an end of them. Kill the mighty oak by hacking away its roots. Too far to do else but mourn. But they were the men of the Mountain Home.

"Without hesitation, without thought for the distance they must travel, they marched from the very field of victory, still covered in dust and sweat and blood. Day and night they marched, for they had seen the horror a Trolloc army left behind it, and no man of them could sleep while such a danger threatened Manetheren. They moved as if their feet had wings, marching further and faster than friends hoped or enemies feared they could. At any other day that march alone would have inspired songs. When the Dark One's. armies swooped down upon the lands of Manetheren, the men of the Mountain Home stood before it, with their backs to the Tarendrelle."

One of the villagers raised a cheer just then, but Moiraine continued on, as if it had not happened. "The host that faced the men of Manetheren was enough to daunt the bravest heart. Ravens blackened the sky; Trollocs blackened the land. Trollocs and their human allies. Trollocs and Darkfriends in tens of tens of thousands, and Dreadlords to command. At night their cookfires outnumbered the stars, and dawn revealed the banner of Ba'alzamon at their head. Ba'alzamon, Heart of the Dark. An ancient name for the Father of Lies. The Dark One could not have been free of his prison at Shayol Ghul, for if he had been, not all the forces of humankind together could have stood against him, but there was power there. Dreadlords, and some evil that made that light-destroying banner seem no more than right and sent a chill into the souls of the men who faced it.

"Yet, they knew what they must do. Their homeland lay just across the river. They must keep that host, and the power with it, from the Mountain Home. Aemon had sent out messengers. Aid was promised if they could hold for but three days at the Tarendrelle. Hold for three days against odds that should overwhelm them in the first hour. Yet somehow, through bloody assault and desperate defense, they held through an hour, and the second hour, and the third. For three days they fought, and though the land became a butcher's yard, no crossing of the Tarendrelle did they yield. By the third night no help had come, and no messengers, and they fought on alone. For six days. For nine. And on the tenth day Aemon knew the bitter taste of betrayal. No help was coming, and they could hold the river crossings no more."

"What did they do?" Ranma couldn't see the villager that asked that, and slowly opened the door to slip outside, unnoticed during the focus on Moiraine. The torches flickered outside.

"Aemon crossed the Tarendrelle," Moiraine stated, "destroying the bridges behind him. And he sent word throughout his land for the people to flee, for he knew the powers with the Trolloc horde would find a way to bring it across the river. Even as the word went out, the Trolloc crossing began, and the soldiers of Manetheren took up the fight again, to buy with their lives what hours they could for their people to escape. From the city of Manetheren, Eldrene organized the flight of her people into the deepest forests and the fastness of the mountains.

"But some did not flee. First in a trickle, then a river, then a flood, men went, not to safety, but to join the army fighting for their land. Shepherds with bows, and farmers with pitchforks, and woodsmen with axes. Women went, too, shouldering what weapons they could find and marching side by side with their men. No one made that journey who did not know they would never return. But it was their land. It had been their fathers', and it would be their children's, and they went to pay the price of it. Not a step of ground was given up until it was soaked in blood, but at the last the army of Manetheren was driven back, back to here, to this place you now call Emond's Field. And here the Trolloc hordes surrounded them." Her voice held the sound of cold tears. "Trolloc dead and the corpses of human renegades piled up in mounds, but always more scrambled over those charnel heaps in waves of death that had no end. There could be but one finish. No man or woman who had stood beneath the banner of the Red Eagle at that day's dawning still lived when night fell. The sword that could not be broken was shattered.

"In the Mountains of Mist, alone in the emptied city of Manetheren, Eldrene felt Aemon die, and her heart died with him. And where her heart had been was left only a thirst for vengeance, vengeance for her love, vengeance for her people and her land. Driven by grief she reached out to the True Source, and hurled the One Power at the Trolloc army. And there the Dreadlords died wherever they stood, whether in their secret councils or exhorting their soldiers. In the passing of a breath the Dreadlords and the generals of the Dark One's host burst into flame. Fire consumed their bodies, and terror consumed their just-victorious army.

"Now they ran like beasts before a wildfire in the forest, with no thought for anything but escape. North and south they fled. Thousands drowned attempting to cross the Tarendrelle without the aid of the Dreadlords, and at the Manetherendrelle they tore down the bridges in their fright at what might be following them. Where they found people, they slew and burned, but to flee was the need that gripped them. Until, at last, no one of them remained in the lands of Manetheren. They were dispersed like dust before the whirlwind. The final vengeance came more slowly, but it came, when they were hunted down by other peoples, by other armies in other lands. None was left alive of those who did murder at Aemon's Field.

"But the price was high for Manetheren. Eldrene had drawn to herself more of the One Power than any human could ever hope to wield unaided. As the enemy generals died, so did she die, and the fires that consumed her consumed the empty city of Manetheren, even the stones of it, down to the living rock of the mountains. Yet the people had been saved.

"Nothing was left of their farms, their villages, or their great city. Some would say there was nothing left for them, nothing but to flee to other lands, where they could begin anew. They did not say so. They had paid such a price in blood and hope for their land as had never been paid before, and now they were bound to that soil by ties stronger than steel. Other wars would wrack them in years to come, until at last their corner of the world was forgotten and at last they had forgotten wars and the ways of war. Never again did Manetheren rise. Its soaring spires and splashing fountains became as a dream that slowly faded from the minds of its people. But they, and their children, and their children's children, held the land that was theirs. They held it when the long centuries had washed the why of it from their memories. They held it until, today, there is you. Weep for Manetheren. Weep for what is lost forever."

Moiraine's staff lost its fire as it went out, and she lowered it. One of the farmers in the crowd turned towards her.

"I don't know about your story, but my Wil is walking because of you. I'm ashamed to be here, I apologize for my statements, and I don't know if you can forgive me. Whether you want to stay or leave, you are welcome in Emond's Field as long as you like by my standards." The farmer started to head back through the crowd... but then another person spoke up, inciting the crowd once more. They had noticed Ranma.

"Well, what about him! He's a male channeler! He'll go mad and kill us all!" An elderly man yelled out and pointed at Ranma. Cenn Buie, if Ranma remembered right. The crowd started to get noisy again.

Moiraine's mouth twitched. "And just how, exactly, do you know that he can channel?" Her voice was as level as it was when she told her story.

"We all saw it, what he was doing to the Trollocs, what he did to the Fade! He was glowing with power, he was!" Several villagers agreed with the man's statements.

"So what you're saying is that you could see an aura around him then, Master Buie?" Moiraine's voice sounded somewhat amused at this.

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying!" The old man looked righteous at that moment. More around him chimed in at that moment saying that they could see the aura too.

"A little known fact to non-channelers is that only members of the same gender that can _also _channel can see the aura of Power around another channeler. For example, while I could see the fact that some of my Sisters can channel, those of you on the Women's Circle can not see my channeling. If what Ranma was doing was channeling _saidin_, then no one would see an aura around him that could not also channel _saidin_."

The elderly man looked a little frightened at that point, and the men around him paled. "But I saw it... and I'm no channeler!"

"Precisely, Master Buie. I saw it as well, and were it _saidin_, I would not be able to see it. What Ranma was doing was most definitely not channeling, but it was something else." Moiraine smiled.

"What was it then?" The old man could not let it go.

"That is something that I cannot tell you at this time." Moiraine stated simply.

"Besides, that boy, channeler or no... he saved my Erindel from the blazes. Thank you, son. Thank you so much." The woman dragged her husband forward to shake Ranma's hand, and then dragged him away.

The crowd started to disperse, but a few people still refused to leave. They had scowls on their sour faces, as if they had not gotten their way. Moiraine walked over to Ranma and motioned for him to follow her.

"Follow closely, Lan managed to secure some horses for you and Akane to come with us. I know that you likely had no plans to come with us, but Tar Valon is still your best chance at finding a way home."

Ranma had no objections to following the woman, especially after seeing her stunt with the fire on the staff. She seemed no worse for the wear, and a close inspection of the staff showed not even a touch of ash where the fire burned. He swore that while the staff was burning that he could see bits of red thread surrounding it, but that could have just been his eyes playing tricks on him in the night-time air.

They entered the inn, Akane standing in the common room waiting for Ranma. Moiraine ducked away into a room.

"It's about time you got back in here. Honestly, you would think that you couldn't get through a day without angering someone." Akane said quietly.

"What would you know about it, you quick to anger tomboy?" Ranma retorted, a little louder.

"Simple, you make me angry easily, when you shoot off your mouth, baka." Akane replied, a little louder.

"Who was shooting off their mouth? They just turned on me, baka." Ranma said a little louder than that.

"Well if you hadn't been showing off..."

"Showing off!" Ranma was getting a little angrier.

"Children!" Moiraine's stern tone silenced both martial artists, signifying her return. "We do not have time for the two of you to bicker as if you were still in swaddling clothes. Now come quickly, we must make for the stables." She swept off, and the two of them could see the change in her clothes instantly. She now wore a skirt divided for riding astride, much like Akane's own skirt, and the only gold that could be seen on her was the serpent ring on her finger. Even dressed like that, she still managed to seem regal, but less so.

The three of them headed out towards the stables, quietly, and they could hear sound from inside as they approached.

"My father believes her. At least, he agreed that we had to go." Rand's voice was heard clearly at that point.

"Rand's coming with us?" Ranma turned towards the Aes Sedai, but she ignored him and quickly walked to the doorway of the stable.

"You talked to your rather about this journey?" Moiraine's voice was sharp as she spoke. Ranma and Akane filed in after her, noticing Lan working on bridling the horses and making sure the saddles were upon them. Mat, Perrin and Rand looked nervous, the larger boy with an axe hooked around his waist, the smaller had a strung longbow on his back. Rand himself wore a rather visible sword that had a western hilt, but a katana shape. Ranma found that odd.

"I couldn't go off without letting him know." Ranma looked to Rand when the older boy said that. He seemed determined.

Moiraine pursed her lips and looked at the other two. "Did you two also decide that a note wasn't enough?" Both boys shook their heads. "I know that Ranma and Akane had no one to tell about their leaving. No matter, what's done is already woven in the Pattern. Lan?"

"The horses are ready." The Warder replied. "And we have enough provisions to reach Baerlon and a little extra, if need be. I managed to buy two strong horses off of the family the boy here managed to save the child of. We can leave any time, I suggest that time be now."

"What's the hurry? You've been dragging us this way and that without any explanation. I think we deserve one." Ranma stated.

Moiraine glanced at the boy. "I can not explain it to you now, but know that us hurrying to leave is of utmost importance. We should leave now, as Lan said."

"Not without me." Egwene said as she slipped into the stable. She carried a shawl wrapped bundle in her hands, and the hood of her dark blue cloak was up.

Ranma tensed until he saw who it was, and he noted the Warder sliding his sword back into its sheath. The girl turned towards Moiraine, almost daring her to tell her no as she said, "I have everything I need for this trip, including food. I absolutely refuse to be left behind. I've never been outside the Two Rivers. I've never even been past Westwood and I will not pass up this chance."

"This isn't a picnic to the Waterwood, Egwene." Mat said with a growl.

"Why thank you, Matrim, I'd never have known had you not told me. Do you think you three are the only ones who want to see outside? The only ones who have dreamed about it? I've dreamed about it nearly as long as the three of you have, and I intend on seeing it."

Ranma tuned out the rest of the argument, knowing somehow the girl was going to come with them. He knew too much about stubborn women from dealing with his fiancées, and since the girl's ire was not directed at him, he refused to let it bother him. Looking at the Warder, he noted that the man was nowhere near as emotionless as he made himself seem. This was even more apparent with the warder's outburst.

"No, Moiraine!"

"It's part of the pattern now, Lan."

"It is ridiculous! There's no reason for her to come with us!" Lan's said, his voice tinged with confusion and anger.

"There is a reason for it," Moiraine calmly replied. "A part of the pattern, Lan." The man nodded slowly at that, his face betraying no emotion. It seemed like he used the Soul of Ice to Ranma, but he detected no chill ki from the man.

"But, Egwene," Rand said, "the Trollocs will be chasing us. We won't be safe until we get to Tar Valon."

"Don't try to scare me off, Rand al'Thor. I will be coming along on this trip whether you like it or not." Egwene's tone brooked no nonsense. Ranma opened his mouth as if to say something and suddenly got elbowed by Akane.

"Stay out of it, Ranma." Akane hissed. "If I'm coming, she can come."

"She's not even a martial artist... and those creatures, if they're chasing those boys. It's a martial artist's duty to protect the weak."

"I'm a martial artist too. We'll protect her, make sure she's safe." Akane said in his ear.

Ranma hung his head in defeat and nodded. "What horse is she going to ride then?" His voice came out louder than he intended.

"She can ride the gleeman's horse." The Warder replied. "I'll leave him enough money to buy another one."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible." The gleeman's voice rang out from the hayloft. An audible "SHING" echoed through the stable. The Warder held his sword completely out of its sheath and aimed it at the Gleeman.

Thom tossed down a bedroll from the hayloft, then slung his flute, in its case, of course, and harp on his back. On his shoulders lay bulging saddlebags. He hopped down from the hayloft nimbly.

"This village has no use for me, now, while on the other hand, have never performed in Tar Valon. And though I usually journey alone, after last night I have no objections at all to traveling in company."

Ranma appraised the man, whom he hadn't even noticed was there, almost missing Perrin's statement about not checking the loft.

"You sure you want to come with us, Master Merrilin?"

"Just Thom, lad. I have never played in Tar Valon before, and a little adventure will add to my stories, eh?" The Gleeman started saddling up his horse.

"Master Merrilin," Moiraine said. "we must go quickly, and almost certainly in great danger. The Trollocs are still out there, and we go by night. Are you sure that you want to travel with us?"

"If it is not too dangerous for the girl, it is not too dangerous for me. Besides, what gleeman would not risk a little danger to perform in Tar Valon?"

Moiraine nodded as her Warder put his sword back in its scabbard.

"That still begs the question of what the girl will ride." Moiraine said.

"The peddler's horses are as bad as the Dhurrans," the Warder sourly replied. "Strong, but slow plodders. Definitely not what we need from a horse."

"Bela," Rand's voice came out. Ranma recalled Bela from the previous morning, the horse that Tam and Rand took their cider to the inn with. "She may not be as fast as the others, but she's strong. I ride her sometimes, she can keep up."

"She will have to do. Go get the tack and saddle her up." Lan said to Rand who quickly hurried off. He then turned towards the two martial artists. "Boy, girl. These are your horses. Fireball and Star. I hope the two of you have riding experience. The rest of you, get on your horses, we leave as soon as Rand finishes saddling Bela."

Ranma nodded. "Well... we have good enough balance, this should not be too hard." Ranma straddled Fireball's saddle, the mare letting out a snort as he got on. "Easy girl... We need to work together."

The mare seemed soothed by that, and he looked over to Akane who seemed to be having an easier time with Star. He raised an eyebrow at that, and she smiled at him. "Daddy took my sisters and I to a riding ranch once when we were younger. I guess I remember a bit of it."

Ranma nodded. It was a good thing that she would be fine on the horse. "Just be careful, Akane."

Rand returned a short while later and helped Egwene on to Bela. He saw that all other horses were taken save one and sighed. He got on the stallion and soothed him quickly.

An owl hooted in the night air, causing everyone to jump in their saddles.

.

"Next we'll be jumping at field mice." Egwene managed to say with a wary chuckle. "Or a cat will chase us up a tree."

Ranma winced at that one as Lan shook his head. "Better if it had been wolves."

"Why wolves, Lan-san?" Akane asked curiously, eying Ranma at the same time.

Lan fixed her with a flat stare. "Wolves don't like Trollocs, girl, and Trollocs don't like wolves, or dogs either. If I had heard wolves out there I would know that there were no Trollocs waiting for us. That would be a wonderful comfort at this point." He then led his black horse out of the stable, followed quickly by Moiraine and Egwene who stuck close to the Aes Sedai.

Ranma and Akane rode out next, followed by Perrin and Mat, with the gleeman and Rand bringing up the rear. It was dark and silent in the back of the inn, and moon shadows spotted the yard. The clopping of the horse hooves quietly echoed through the yard. The Warder seemed to blend into the shadows in the night, and it was the fact that the group needed him to lead that they did not crowd around of him.

Ranma looked around the village. Most windows were lit, the villagers obviously did not want to be taken by surprise again. It would be difficult to sneak out of this village without any of them being seen by the people in the village at the very least.

They followed Lan through the inn yard, keeping to the shadows of the inn. Ranma halted Fireball at the same time Lan halted his own horse. The rest of the group halted a split-second later, and footsteps could be heard on the bridge that led to the inn. Ranma didn't know nor did he care the name of it.

The footsteps stopped just before the inn, just before the dim light from the windows that led to the common room could reach. A man stepped forward and Ranma let go a breath that he hadn't even realized he was holding in. He was fairly certain that the man was not Shadowspawn before, but it helped to have visual confirmation.

The man peered inside the common room of the inn, "All seems right here." He turned away and walked away with his partner.

"Two Dha'vol Trollocs would have them all for breakfast,"Lan muttered softly once the sound of the boots had disappeared, "but they have eyes and ears." Turning his stallion back he said, "Come."

He led the group back across the stableyard, down the bank through the willows and into the waters that gave the inn its name. Ranma eyed the water nervously and lifted his feet so that they would not even be splashed by the water. There was no way that he could allow himself to have the curse activated at this point.

After they had managed to come out on the far shore, the group of riders followed the Warder's deft directions to avoid the villager's houses, and, like before, both Ranma and Akane stopped at the same times that the Warder himself did. The rest of the group seemed confused by this, but each time the reason was revealed as another villager passed the way in front of them. The villagers of Emond's Field were taking no chances tonight, and Lan had to be extra careful in leading the group. Ranma appreciated the fact that neither he nor Akane were wearing the bright clothing that they had come to the village in.

Ranma looked around at the place that had been kind enough to take him and Akane in, if only for a day. Somehow he knew that he would one day see this place again, but it would not be for a long while. The tall houses that by his standards were not all that tall at all gave him a bit of warmth in his heart as he remembered his time with his father, and then a chill went down his spine as he remembered the dream he had when he slept. _One day, I'll see them again. I won't allow that to happen to them._

The group passed the last of the farmhouses that were at the outskirts of the village, and were now following along the countryside that ran parallel to the road that led to the next town. Ranma heard Moiraine mention a Taren Ferry to Lan, and he assumed that was the town's name. Looking up, he appreciated the night sky that one could not get in the city, and he tried to find a familiar constellation to see if he could figure out where he was. The deep black scattered with twinkling stars caught his heart, but he could not find any familiar constellations at all. Wait... did that one look a little like a warped Big Dipper? Right next to the silvery moon. It was there, but wait... what was that?

A large shadow crossed the moon in the night, and a dread chill came over Ranma's senses. Whatever the creature was it was no bat, far too big, almost man sized from the shadow it made and its distance. Ranma looked around, it would seem that Rand noticed the creature too, and was describing it to Lan.

"Draghkar." The Warder growled out, as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. The Two Rivers folk all scanned the sky nervously, Akane as well, but the gleeman simply groaned.

"Yes." Moiraine said simply. "It is too much to hope for otherwise. If the Myrddraal has a Draghkar under its command, he will soon know where we are if he does not already. We must move more swiftly than before. Faster than we can by going cross-country. If we hurry, we may still make it to Taren Ferry before the Myrddraal and his Trollocs can. We will cross the Taren far easier than they."

"A Draghkar?" Egwene's voice was nervous. "What is it?"

Surprisingly it was not the Aes Sedai nor the Warder who answered, but rather the gleeman, Thom Merrilin. "In the war that ended the Age of Legends, worse beings than Trollocs and Halfmen were created."

This drew a sharp glare from Moiraine and before any could ask the gleeman more, Lan was already giving directions.

"We take the North Road now. For your lives, follow my lead and keep up. We need to keep together in this."

Without another word, the Warder turned his horse about, and everyone else galloped after him. They were not far from the North Road and quickly reached it. Upon reaching it, Lan had them all increase their speed again, keeping an ever-watchful eye to the sky. Lan barked some orders out about order of riding and the duties of each rider to the rest of the group and they all galloped hard.

On the hard-packed dirt of the North Road, the entire line of horses was stretched out. Lan was in the lead, his cloak billowing in the wind like a dark shadow behind him. Ranma was in the middle of the group, just behind Akane, but in front of Perrin. He glanced behind him to see how Rand was doing in the rear. The older boy's job was to sound the alarm if he spotted any Trollocs, Myrddraal or a Draghkar. Ranma's job was to fall back if the alarm did sound.

Every few minutes he glanced back at the people behind him, making sure that they were keeping up okay, hoping that the Draghkar or any other beastie were not back there to deal with at the moment. Worse than Trollocs or Myrddraal, the gleeman had said. What exactly made them worse? Ranma's curiosity was piqued, and he desired to find answers.

Ranma leaned into Fireball's chestnut mane, as far down as to lower the wind resistance. While he could easily run this fast without the horse, he knew the necessity of using her. Overall she had not given him any problems tonight, easily keeping pace with the stallion of Lan's. She seemed to be content going at the speed she was at, but Ranma somehow knew she could go faster if necessary.

Ranma glanced once again at the group, especially at Akane. He knew that if Akane fell behind, despite his own objections, he would slow for her. Hell, despite Akane's own objections. He needed to keep her safe as she was the only piece of home that was left here with him. Though Ranma felt that he would do the same for any of the members of the party. First and foremost he was a martial artist, and he would protect this party from the monsters.

On and on the group rode, and Ranma's perception of time seemed to fade away. All he could hear was the clip-clopping of hooves and the wind going past his head. Now and again, he could spot the light from various farmhouses that appeared along the way, but they passed quickly. Or he could possibly hear a dog barking, but this too passed quickly.

After an undetermined amount of time, Lan abruptly stopped the line of horses. Ranma was unsure as to how long they had been traveling, but he saw that the others, even Akane had started to develop aches related to the saddle from the way that they were adjusting their legs. He, however, was still good to go for at least another few hours. This was nothing compared to the dread Goldfish Bowl Hold training that his father put him through when he was seven. Heck, the horse was smaller than the bowl.

He rode over to Akane to see that she too had some aches from the saddle. "You okay, Akane?"

"I'm fine, Ranma. Just a little sore from riding so long." Ranma nodded at her reply. He was about to respond when the gleeman spoke up.

"Much as I would like to put all these villages behind me," Thom announced to the group. "a few hours rest would not go amiss right now. Surely we have enough of a lead to allow that?"

Ranma looked at the gleeman as the Two Rivers folk chimed in about going to the nearby town, which obviously was having some sort of celebration tonight, unmolested by the Trollocs that had attacked Emond's Field. Judging from the time it was, they must have been finishing up their celebration of the Bel Tine festival that Rand had told them about the previous day. Had it really only been that long? It seemed like he had been here for weeks already, and on the road for half of them.

Ranma idly noted the Aes Sedai passing through the party, touching the horses and riders in turn. When she came upon him, he felt what little fatigue he had leave him, and he saw that the horse was also less tired. He could have sworn he saw a flash of gold along with a yellow and blue thread as she touched him, but he played it off as a trick of the light, or lack thereof.

"We must not stop until we are across the Taren." Lan stated, and Ranma privately agreed with him. He was certain that his horse was up for another few hours of hard riding now. Ranma walked over to the gleeman.

"So what exactly is a Draghkar, Thom-san?" Ranma asked curiously. "If we are being hunted by one, I would at least like to know what it is."

"A Shadowspawn that stories say can eat souls. It will lure you in with its song and then devour your soul, leaving your body a shell of its former self. At least, that's what the stories say, but I'm not eager to find out if they are true." The gleeman answered. "Hopefully we are far enough ahead now that it won't find us."

A shrill cry tore through the black of night, sounding like a man being impaled upon multiple swords, and wings swooped down close to the party. The shadow over them deepened in the night and the horses reared wildly.

Ranma managed to keep a good hold on Fireball's reins, keeping her from running off as she bucked. He looked into the mare's frightened eyes and managed to soothe her by petting her mane. It was only then that Ranma looked around at the rest of the group. It seemed that not many fared better than he did, the lot of the Two Rivers folk busy grasping at reins, and Akane doing the same as he. Only two of the party seemed to be unaffected. Moiraine, who sat calmly on her white horse, and Lan, who stood next to his black stallion, scanning the air, sword drawn.

"Mount!" Lan ordered shortly. "The Draghkar would not have shown himself had he not already reported our whereabouts to the Myrddraal. Mount and let's ride!"

This was easier said than done, as the newly revitalized horses were skittish from the scream, and tried to back away. The gleeman was first on his horse, but Ranma and Akane were close behind, as were the rest of the group. Ranma looked to make certain that everyone was on their horse, and there was Rand, staring at the sky, waving his sword around. The idiot. Ranma rode over to him and in a feat of strength, lifted the larger boy off of the ground and placed him down on the saddle of his horse and then forced him to sheath the sword.

"Come on, Rand, we need to hurry!" Ranma yelled at the boy who reddened in response.

Once Rand was in the saddle they were off on a gallop again, up the road next to the dome-like hill that they had stopped near. Ranma could hear dogs barking in the village, perhaps at the cry, or perhaps they could smell Trollocs nearby and that was just a _lovely_ thought. Both the lights from the village and the barking vanished swiftly behind them as they galloped.

Though the Warder ordered them to separate, he quickly gave up on the notion as the group rode clustered together. Moiraine, Lan and Rand took up the front, Ranma, Akane and Perrin in the middle, and Mat, Egwene and the gleeman were not too far behind them. A scream came from overhead and Ranma looked up to see the shadow of the creature not even fifty feet above them. If he could see it a little clearer, perhaps he could hit it with a ki blast... or a vacuum blade. Unfortunately, it was swift in the air.

They galloped through a small bit of fog, no higher than the horses knees, and then another bit of it that was more. More and more mist was coming and Ranma glanced to the Aes Sedai, somehow knowing that this was her handiwork and thanking all the kami that it was only liquid water that caused him to change.

Soon, all the riders were enveloped in a cloud of fog that came and went, came and went, and overhead the Draghkar screamed with rage. Then a wall of fog appeared and Ranma could barely make out the shapes of Akane next to him and Rand ahead of him. As he felt the moistness on his skin, but the lack of tingle, he once again thanked the kami that it required liquid water to trigger the curse. He really did not want to be a girl at the moment.

"There is only one place we can be going," Lan's voice echoed out from the fog, obviously coming from ahead of him.

"Myrddraal are sly, and I will use its slyness against it." Moiraine's voice replied.

Mist now engulfed both sky and ground such that the riders all seemed to be but shadows within it, appearing to float through the clouds. It got to the point where the riders could not even see the legs of the horses that they were on.

Ranma looked around, still able to see Akane and Rand's outline, at least he hoped it was theirs. From Lan's encouragement he stayed within sight of the shadows, silently riding onward. The speed did not lessen, even in this mist, and as long as he kept pace with the shadows, he would not get lost.

The cries of the creature faded as they galloped onward, and soon were completely gone, giving small comfort to the group of riders. They still passed farmhouses and heard dogs barking along the way on the road. Ranma once again lost all sense of time as they rode. Only the slowly building cramp in his right hand gave any indication of its passing.

The moon was still high in the sky when Lan called out to the party "Slow. Draw rein." Ranma was honestly surprised at this and quickly slowed Fireball to a trot. He looked around and saw that there were houses taller than those in other villages. Perhaps they had reached their destination. He followed as the Warder led them through town to a house.

At this point, Lan dismounted along with Moiraine and he started pounding on the door's house. Ranma ignored the muttered comment from Mat as Lan continued pounding on the door.

About two minutes later, the door opened to reveal a man dressed in a nightshirt which flapped around his bare ankles, holding an oil lamp. The lamp revealed the man's pointed features and angry scowl. "What's this?" The man said, "What's this?"

"Master Hightower," Lan said curtly. "Just the man I need. We would like to cross over on your ferry."

Mat made some comment that had Rand make a loud shushing noise as the man spoke.

"The ferry goes over in daylight. Not in the night. Not ever. And not in this fog, neither. Come back when the sun's up and the fog's gone." The man started to turn away, but the warder caught his wrist. As the man's mouth was about to open up in anger, gold glittered in the lamplight as Lan counted out several pieces, placing them into the man's palm. Hightower licked his lips as if he could not believe the amount of gold he was being paid. Ranma in no way trusted this man.

"And as much again when we reach the other side. Tonight."

"Now it is then." Hightower responded. "Let loose my wrist so that I may rouse my haulers. You don't think that I pull the ferry across myself, do you?"

"I will wait by the ferry," Lan replied and let go of the man's wrist. "For a little while."

Hightower brought the handful of coins to his chest, and then shut the door with his hip quickly. Presumably he would be getting ready.

"Come now, I'll lead you all to the ferry." Lan led the party through the town, and they quickly reached the ferry dock. Ranma eyed the waters of the Taren warily, noting that he would stand close to the center of the ferry to avoid any unpleasantness. The river itself was fairly wide, and in the fog that engulfed the night, it was impossible to see the other side.

They waited for fifteen minutes before Lan put his hand on his sword's pommel, inspiring others to do similar acts. Ranma himself held his hand at the base of his sword's sheath, thumb under the hilt. The "Hsst" sound from Lan probably had something to do with it.

Hightower showed up with six stolid-faced men, all wielding torches. Soon the entire party was visible in the torchlight as they approached. The ferryman examined them all, like an animal looking for a trap.

All of the men took stances that showed off their weapons, but Lan, Ranma and Thom looked the most relaxed in doing so. A laugh came out from Moiraine, Egwene started clapping as if she were at a festival, and then she stopped but a smile twitched on her face regardless. Akane just held her face in her hands, and Ranma could swear that she muttered the word, "Men!"

The ferryman stared at Thom for a second, obviously unamused and it showed in his voice when he spoke. "There was mention made of more gold for the crossing." He gave them all a sly look. "What you gave me earlier is in a safe place already, hear? It's where none of you can get it."

"The rest of the gold, Master Hightower, will be given to you once we are all safe on the other side of the river." Lan replied, the leather purse on his waist giving a little clink when he shook it.

His eyes glanced once more to the party and then back to Lan's waist. He snorted. "Let us be about it then." He muttered, stalking onto the landing and directing his haulers onto the ferry. The fog burned around them as they moved, and grey tendrils filled in behind them. Ranma quickly followed, taking Fireball with him.

The ferry itself was a simple wooden barge with high sides, boarded with a ramp that could be raised to block it off. A set of ropes ran alongside it, each thick as a man's wrist, each fastened into a wooden pole on the side of the river, and presumably the same on the other side.

The ferryman's helpers placed the torches they carried into iron holders on the ferry and lowered the ramp so that the party could get their horses aboard. Once all horses were aboard they drew the ramp, and the ferry shifted under the weight of the sixteen people and nine horses.

Hightower ordered the party to keep the horses still and to keep towards the center and out of the haulers' way. He then yelled at his helpers to hurry and get the ferry ready, but they moved fairly slow.

Finally they managed to get it ready and then Hightower ordered them to start the ferry's movement. The ferry lurched forward as the haulers started it moving. Soon the loading dock disappeared from sight, and Hightower moved to the front to peer at the fog ahead of the barge.

Ranma gazed at the sides of the barge, keeping a steady hand on Fireball as the boat started to move. He noticed that Lan and Rand were talking, about what he did not know. Akane and Egwene seemed to be talking to each other as well. Mat actually nudged him.

"Ranma," Mat started, "How exactly did you pick Rand up and put him on Cloud?"

Ranma blinked, his mind leaving the water for a second. "I'm just strong like that, Mat. I'm a martial artist, and we needed to move, so I placed him on his horse quicker than he'd be able to himself."

"Right, but how did you do it?" Mat questioned again.

"Shh..." Ranma stated quickly, and he strained his ears but heard nothing. Especially not what he thought he heard. "Must have been my imagination."

Mat looked around fearfully. "What? What did you hear?"

"Nothing, apparently." Ranma looked around himself before he felt a slight lurch as a loud thump was heard. They had reached the other side of the river.

The ferryman's helpers hurried to lash the craft and lowered the ramp such that everyone could get off. Mat and Perrin quickly announced that the Taren was not as wide as they had heard while Lan led his stallion down the ramp. Ranma and the others quickly followed until they were safely on the shore. Once the last person reached the solid ground, Hightower called out angrily.

"Here now, where's my gold?"

"It shall be paid," Moiraine's voice was somewhere out there, "And a silver mark for each of your men for the safe passing."

Eager to get the gold, Hightower came off the ferry with his helpers who were eager for the tip. Hightower approached Lan who counted out the coins individually and placed the last coin in Hightower's hand. The man eyed Lan's still full purse hungrily, and put the money he had gotten into his pockets.

From behind him, the landing lurched and then creaked. Points of light began to fade away as it quickly became obvious that-

"It's loose! The ferry's loose you fools! Get it! Get it!" Hightower was frantic.

The haulers quickly tried to chase after it before a swirling of air and water swallowed the landing and the ferry.

"Whirlpool." One of the haulers said.

"There are no whirlpools on the Taren!" Hightower sharply replied before a shrill scream echoed through the air, frightening the horses.

"No... how did it find us again?" Moiraine asked. "It should not have been able to find us through the mist."

Wings swooped down as the creature landed where the landing once was. Despite the fog, it could be seen clearly. It was roughly the size of a man, but its skin was far too pale and it had white bat-like wings.

"Why did it land?" Ranma asked, hoping for a reply.

He got one in the form of a strange song that came from the creature. Its eyes locked with one of the haulers and the hauler started to slowly approach it.

"He is caught in the Draghkar's song!" Lan said drawing his sword.

"Take Fireball, and keep Akane safe!" Ranma called out to Lan. He then dashed towards the creature at a high speed, glowing with ki. "Run away while you can!"

Ranma passed the man caught by the Draghkar's song, and he tackled the Draghkar. His momentum carried both him and the shadowspawn into the Taren, where they both disappeared beneath its dark depths.

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(End Chapter)

Author's notes: Well, it's been nearly a year coming, but I finally decided to buckle down and seriously work on this chapter. Despite my April Fool's joke this year, I hope that I still have some decent fans left. Remember, please review. This fic will get finished, never think that it is abandoned. Thank you all, and thank you especially Louis Phillipe-Giroux for inspiring three scenes in this chapter. (PS: I want more Differing Powers)

Another note: This chapter pulls much of its dialogue from canon scenes in Eye of the World. Though the dialogue is often adjusted or changed.


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